Just as they have Karlštejn in Bohemia, we have Pernštejn in Moravia. It’s hard to find a more photogenic castle!
Pernštejn sits on a high rock which is a great deal higher than the surroundings, and it looks over the village of Nedvědice. Over eight centuries, even the fiercest conquerors didn't manage to conquer it.
You will easily forget that you are in the 21st century during the tour, which will take you into the history of the castle and its legends, and maybe you will be lucky enough to meet the local White Lady. (At least some people swear that they have met her here.) The coat of arms with the bison head belongs to the Pernštejn family, the richest and most influential family in the Czech lands. The exact origin of the Lords of Pernštejn – and of their castle – is obscure. Construction of the castle started in the 13th century. The passing centuries and changing fashion styles hardly changed the exterior of the castle, only the interiors.
If you have young kids with you who wouldn’t able to manage the classic tour yet, you can go on a self-guided tour of the castle courtyard. You will also see some interiors, such as the dungeon or the chapel. Older children are usually excited about the tour called The White Lady Has Got Lost. With teenagers, you can go on a shorter second tour and if you can handle a proper commentary, you can take tour number one called From the Gothic to the 20th Century.
A new tour of the castle garden was opened in 2020. You can go there on your own or with a guide; visitors with limited mobility have also been considered. You will see charming small buildings, such as a Chinese pavilion, a hermitage, a Turkish bath, as well as an obelisk and a waterfall.
You can get to the castle or on foot or by bike along marked nature trails, which start from the train station in Nedvědice. Are you going by car? There is a parking lot about 20 minutes by foot from the castle.
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