Tvrz a zámek Čejkovice Chateau

The castle in Čejkovice in the Hodonín region has an unusual origin. At the turn of the thirteenth and fourteenth century, a medieval fortified settlement was established here, which built upon a commandery of the Order of the Templars. The commandery stood on a small hill above the church, that is, in the place of today's castle. The first written mention of it dates from the year twelve forty-eight. Previously, it was mistakenly believed that it was located in the nearby Šakvice.

The Templar commandery is mentioned for the last time in the year thirteen hundred eight. The Order of the Templars was dissolved on the twenty-second of March thirteen twelve, and the abandoned commandery became the foundation of the later fortified settlement. Extensive cellars of the Templar wine cellars have been preserved.

After the Templars, a series of owners succeeded each other here. First the fortified settlement belonged to the Czech king, but he soon acquired it, the lords of Lipá. Čeněk from Lipá sold it along with the estates in the year thirteen fifty-three to the brothers Albrecht, also called Aleš, and Vilém from the Moravian branch of the Šternberk family. Their descendants sold the estates in the year fourteen thirty-seven to Smil from Zástřizl and from Nemotice and Protivec from Pavlovic. During the Hussite wars, the fortified settlement was damaged.

In the year fifteen twelve, the fortified settlement already had a semicircular ground plan and a tower. That same year, Heřman from Zástřizl, together with Čejkovice and several estates, sold it to Heralt Kun from Kunštát na Hodoníně. Before the year fifteen thirty, it was acquired by the brothers Albrecht and Vilém from Víckov. In the year fifteen forty, only Albrecht is mentioned.

In the second half of the sixteenth century, the fortified settlement was reconstructed and expanded into a Renaissance castle with a park on the eastern side. The oldest part of the building are the foundations of a square tower. An residential section was built onto it and extensive cellars. In the eighteenth century, the southern part of the outer ward was added, a passage connects it to the castle. In the year seventeen seventy-three, Emperor Joseph the Second bought the castle, and Čejkovice became part of the Hodonín estates.

The castle stands on Templářská street. It underwent complete reconstruction and today belongs to the municipality of Čejkovice. It serves as a hotel with a restaurant and a conference centre.