zámek Fryštát Chateau

Fryštát Castle in Karviná is the only residential seat of the Silesian Principality on Czech territory. Later, Silesian aristocracy from the Gaschin, Taafe, and Larisch-Mönnich families resided there. It lies in the valley of the Olše River on the edge of Karviná and is protected as a cultural monument. Together with the courtyard, church, stable, and park, it forms a complex that grew out of the original medieval castle.

The castle was built in 1288 by Silesian Prince Měšek the First from the Těšín-Fryštát branch of the Piast dynasty. It was the first structure of the new Fryštát, which was relocated here from the banks of the Olše River. In the first half of the fifteenth century, Princess Eufemie of Mazovia began rebuilding the castle into a residential seat. The Piasts used the castle as their secondary residence after the Těšín Castle until 1572. Princes Boleslav the Second, Kazimír the Second, Václav the Third Adam, and Friedrich Kazimír stayed here, as did widowed princesses. The castle was not particularly extensive, yet it appeared impressive. The entire complex was surrounded by a city wall and an embankment with a water-filled moat.

In 1511, the castle caught fire and was largely destroyed. Prince Kazimír the Second renovated it in the Renaissance style between 1511 and 1514. The Gothic tower was not rebuilt, so a new Gothic-Renaissance tower was constructed in 1515 next to the neighboring Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In 1543, Elizabeth, the daughter of Czech King Ferdinand the First of the Habsburgs, stayed here with her retinue while traveling to Krakow for her wedding to Polish King Sigismund the Second Augustus. In 1563, a magnificent celebration was held at the castle to honor the arrival of Princess Catherine of Liegnitz, the wife of the last Fryštát prince Friedrich Kazimír. It culminated in a knights' tournament.

After the death of Friedrich Kazimír in 1571, an independent Fryštát estate was created. In 1572, it was purchased by the Land Captain Václav Cikán of Słupsk. Until 1792, various noble families took turns residing at the castle. The most significant was the Irish counts of Taafe, who left traces of Irish culture there. During their tenure, the castle was visited by the Swedish king.

The castle's present appearance is the work of the Larisch-Mönnich counts. Black coal was discovered on their estate in 1776, and the proceeds from it financed the reconstruction. The castle acquired an Empire style appearance on Piast foundations and was connected with the church into a single complex, though the church retained its Gothic appearance. A building called Lottyhaus was also added to the castle, connected to it by a corridor on the first floor. In 1804, an extensive park with a pond and stable were created. During a fire in 1823, the left wing of the castle was severely damaged but was later repaired.

The castle is also the main setting of the historical novel The Duke of Fryštát, which tells the story of the last prince who lived here and his magnificent court.