The castle in Zákupy opened its cellars to visitors this year

Zákupy - This summer, the castle in Zákupy in the Česká Lípa region opened its cellars to visitors. The extensive underground of the former imperial residence served for several decades as a depositary for the Česká Lípa museum, but now it is mostly empty, except for a small part, so it can be opened to visitors, said the castle caretaker Petr Weiss today. The monumental two-story cellar beneath the eastern wing of the castle reveals the oldest history of the monument, whose origins date back to the 14th century. However, not everyone can venture into the underground; visitors face 50 stairs.

The Zákupy castle is one of the most valuable monuments in the Liberec region. In the Czech Republic, it is a unique example of an imperial residence of the Habsburgs. There are indeed more residences that belonged to this ruling dynasty in the country, but only a few are accessible. Or, like Prague Castle, they showcase rather different periods. The current form of the castle and its interiors mainly reference the second half of the 19th century when Ferdinand I. Dobrotivý lived there. The decorations were created by the painter Josef Navrátil, who took care not only of repainting most of the destroyed originally Baroque ceilings but also designed patterns for wallpaper, decorative fabrics, some pieces of furniture, and even tiled stoves.

However, the history of the complex is much older and has undergone several significant renovations. The tour begins on the bridge in front of the castle entrance. "In the left part, you can view the oldest part of the castle, where the Gothic fortress originally stood. It was on a rock, and below, the blind windows are remnants of the original rock. Later, in the mid-19th century, a sacristy was carved into the rock, which was connected to the Baroque chapel here," said the guide Martina Hodinková. In the first half of the 16th century, Zdislav Berka of Dubé had the original fortress remodeled and expanded into a Renaissance palace. However, the terrain had to be leveled, which resulted in two stories of cellars with vaulted ceilings and massive pillars on which the eastern wing stands.

In the new wing, there was originally a single hall on the first floor, of which nothing remains today. "During further renovations, the hall was divided into smaller rooms with partitions," explained the guide. The size of the hall is suggested by the spaces in the underground. There, it is also easy to see the gradual renovations of the castle. During the tour, visitors will discover not only several bricked-up Renaissance portals but can also see exposed brick vaults and peek into the corridor that leads to the Gothic cellar of the original fortress. A model shows what it looked like. The cellars of the castle are empty today, but the first floor is used for theatrical performances. One floor down, a depositary remains in two rooms, where parts of the tiled stoves from Zákupy as well as the surrounding area are kept.