Zamek, Edited Version, Jindrichuv Hradec, Jihočeský kraj, Bohemia (CZ), 2011

This is the Zamek, or castle or chateau, of Jindrichuv Hradec. When I was there, it appeared to be undergoing a renovation. Oddly, this zamek is also classified as a hrad, the other class of Czech castle, possibly because of its age. Hrads are more combat-oriented, so they tend to be older, whereas zameks resemble chateaus or palaces, and are more administrative in nature, mostly dating from the renaissance period to the 19th Century. This zamek dates to 1220, and retains a medieval tower that you can see in the right of this picture, but was rebuilt in the 16th Century by the Lords of Hradec to roughly its present form, so this is probably the reason for the dual classification. Additional changes were made in 1678-1696 and 1709-1735, and in 1773 some of the renaissance interiors had to be rebuilt after a fire. In 1851, the zamek was restored again. Finally, it passed to full government control when it was seized following World War II, and in 1976-1993 it was restored as a tourist attraction. It is still open to the public, although as I said it was undergoing a further reconstruction when I was there.

More information is available here: www.zamek-jindrichuvhradec.eu/history/