Zlatokorunský dům Hotel building

Welcome to the heart of Český Krumlov, his historic Internal City. Please stop for a moment and focus fully on the building that is now standing right in front of you. You're standing in front of the Golden Rock House. The first thing you're probably interested in is his very strange and distinctive form. This building is not only an ordinary house, but a real pillar, which determines the whole character of the Square by its appearance and mass. Feel how this building dominates the space around it and how it connects the past with the present with its presence. It's a place where in every stone and in every piece of plaster there is a layer of another century.

Let us now return together in time, deep into the past, to understand how this building was created. Imagine this place at the beginning of the 15th century. This is when the foundation of the house was laid. The entire formation of the Gothic core of the building was initiated by a man named Václav z Rovného. At that time the house looked quite different, it was much simpler and corresponded to the strict style of goth which at that time prevailed in our landscapes. It was a time of striving and building solid, durable structures to serve generations. This Gothic core, although it is mostly hidden from the outside today, is still the very foundation and soul of the whole house.

As time moved forward, the house began to change its faces. In a thousand and five hundred twenty-six he became the property of New Year's Eve Pergar. With new owners came new visions and new needs. But the most significant change came only in the year one thousand six hundred thirteen. Now look carefully at the facades of the house. What you see is the result of a large renaissance reconstruction. At this time, the house turned into an elegant mansion to dazzle its beauty and wealth. That's when the facades were decorated with sgraffiti. Sgraffiti is a special decoration, which is created by scratching the pattern into the layer of light plaster, thus revealing a darker layer. These are stone paintings that tell stories and show the taste of the owners back then. Go through the eyes of these patterns and imagine how proud the people who looked at this house in the seventeenth century must have felt.

But history has not stopped. Time went on and with it came new fashion trends in architecture. The end of the eighteenth century, namely the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety, brought further adjustments. Elements of Baroque and Classicism were brought into the facades. The Baroque with its dynamics and classicism with its calmness and balance joined together here and gave the building the distinctive look we know today. It's a fascinating blend of styles where Gothic meets Renaissance and Baroque meets Classicism. Zlatokorunský dům is therefore an open book of the history of architecture, where each chapter represents a different century.

Now pay attention to details that you can see right in front of you. If you look at the main facade, your attention should be on one particular thing. Notice Abbot Valentine Neumann's bust. This figure was closely connected to the house and its appearance here today reminds of the important personalities that have been or have been affected by these walls. In addition to Valentino Neumann, other names such as Kilián Hölderle von Schattenberg or Filip Ignác Häckel appear in the history of the house. Although today we don't know the names of the particular architects who designed the house, we know that these people left a trail in the building.

When you look at the house from the outside, you see its noble face, but underneath the surface is something much more mysterious. Zlatokorunský dům still carries the elements of its oldest, Gothic era. Even if we can't see into them now, there are Gothic cellars in the building that used to store food and wine. There is also an entrance portal with a broken arch, which is a typical symbol of Gothic style, which resembles an arrow facing the sky. And perhaps the most precious hidden treasure is the rib arch in the premises of the former chapel. Imagine the contrast where there are light Renaissance ornaments up there, and deep in the house, heavy, steep and mystical goth persists.

Now let's think about one interesting thing that has fundamentally changed the house. If you look at the lower part of the building, you may notice that the house is very massive. This is because there were significant changes in the nineteenth century. At that time, the archway was walled up, which previously formed an open space for pedestrians and businessmen. At the same time, the building was increased by one whole floor. This change may have erased some of the original Renaissance nature, but it also gave the house its current monumental and stability. It is a reminder of how cities evolved and how buildings adapted to their new needs.

Zlatokorunský dům stands before you as a witness for centuries. From Václav from Straight to New Year's Eve Pergar to Abbot Valentino Neumann. Each of them added something of their own to this building. From gothic savagery to Renaissance playfulness to baroque and classical elegance. It's where time stopped, but at the same time it kept changing.

Now that you know the story of this house, I suggest you look at it for a while. Try to imagine what the house looked like when it was still open and people were going through it, or what the sgraffiti looked like the day it was first finished. Feel the atmosphere of the Square of Svornosti and let yourself be drifted by images of people who lived here hundreds of years ago.

Thank you for the attention you gave to the Golden House. I hope this short trip to history has helped you see this building in a new light. Now we invite you to explore the beauty of our inner city. Please continue your journey and discover other hidden corners and stories waiting for you in Český Krumlov. I wish you a pleasant walk and many new experiences. Goodbye.