Nové Hrady (German Gratzen) is a town in the Novohradské foothills near the border with Austria, about 30 km southeast of České Budějovice and 20 km south of Třeboň. With an altitude of 541 m, they are the highest town in the district of České Budějovice. The cadastral area of the city is 7,968 ha and has a population of approximately 2,500. The postal code is 373 33, except for the local parts of Byňov, which has postal code 373 34 and Údolí 374 01. The historical core is a city monument zone. The Nové Hrady railway station is in Byňov - Jakula, 5 km from the town.
Nové Hrady was an important border fortress in the
Middle Ages. The sources document a Slavic fortified settlement, in
the 13th century a high medieval castle (Gretzen) belonging to the
Vítkovci family was built here. After 1620, Nové Hrady became the
residential town of the Buquoys, who lived here until 1945, first in
a rebuilt Rosenberg house on the square, rebuilt into a Baroque
residence, later in a newly built early Classicist castle on the
edge of the historic city center. The eastern part of the city (the
cadastral areas of Nakolice, Obora u Vyšného and Vyšné) was annexed
to Czechoslovakia until 31 July 1920 as part of the so-called West
Vitorazsko and incorporated into Bohemia in the judicial district of
Nové Hrady in the political district of Kaplice. Originally, these
three cadastral territories belonged to Lower Austria.
Affiliation of the village: in 1850 the village of Nové Hrady in the
district of Nové Hrady; 1869 village in the district of České
Budějovice; 1921 village in the district of České Budějovice; 1931
village Nové Hrady (German Gratzen) in district Kaplice; 1950
village Nové Hrady in district Trhové Sviny; 1961 village in the
district of České Budějovice.
Attractions in and around the
city
Terčino údolí (also Tereziino údolí) - a national natural
monument declared in 1992, a state nature reserve since 1949 on an
area of 139.29 ha. The first modifications of the open landscape
in the romantic valley of the river Stropnice took place at the
initiative of Terezia Buquoyová, née Paarová in 1765. According to
the oldest surviving plan from 1770, the park is called Beautiful
Valley, in which the Blue House, Wenceslas Spa, Swiss House and
Hamr, set up an artificial waterfall and other landscape features.
After the park was handed over to the Countess' nephew Jiří, the
park was renamed Tereziino údolí. It is an extraordinary example of
early landscape creation.
Červené blato National Nature Reserve
Hojná Voda National Natural Monument
Natural monument Sokolí
hnízdo a bažantnice
Natural monument Horsetail pond
Horní
Stropnice
Cuknštejn Fortress
Nové Hrady Castle
Church of
St. Peter and Paul - parish, first mentioned in 1284. This early
Gothic building was destroyed with the Hussites in 1425 and the army
of Zdeněk of Šternberk in 1467. The new building was completed
around 1590. The Swabian net vault of the presbytery dates from this
time. , the most perfect in southern Bohemia. In 1726, the damaged
Renaissance roof and tower were demolished and replaced by a typical
Baroque octagonal onion dome with a lantern.
Monastery of Divine
Mercy of the Family of the Virgin Mary - Servite monastery. Servite
Monastery at the Church of St. Peter and Paul, was founded in 1677
by the owner of the estate, Count F. Buquoy, as a thank you to the
Virgin Mary for healing from severe injuries in the battle with the
Turks. Restored after 1990 mainly thanks to donations from Austria.
Nové Hrady Chateau
Buquoy residence - at this place there used to
be several detached houses, which were built here by the Rosenbergs.
By combining them and transforming them into the whole complex, the
form of the so-called town palace was created in the years
1634–1635. All this on the instructions of Countess Mary Magdalene
of Biglia, who, after arriving in Nové Hrady in 1626, refused to
inhabit the already unsuitable castle. The Buquoys lived in the
residence until the early 19th century, when they moved to the newly
built castle. After that, the residence was used as an office of the
economic and building office of the estate and as apartments for
employees. After 1945, it was used by a forest plant. Today it
serves as a hotel and restaurant.
Buquoy Tomb
Tannery,
Komenského street
Kovárna, Komenského street - first mentioned in
1719, when it was owned by the blacksmith Ferdinand Grössinger and
it is probable that it was built at this time. The whole building
consists of a living area, barn, barn and its own blacksmith's
workshop. The blacksmith trade was operated here for almost 200
years. Then the building was used for housing. In 2000, the city
bought the former smithy and reconstructed it according to surviving
records. In the building you can see a fully functional historic
smithy, a collection of blacksmith tools and traditional products.
Baroque pharmacy
Town Hall - a Renaissance town hall in the
northwest corner of Republic Square. First mentioned in 1593 as a
municipal house. Its Renaissance origin is revealed by the cross
ridge vaults on the ground floor. The town hall was connected to the
town brewery in the back wing of the building, which was converted
into a pub and later into a cheese factory after a fire in 1906. In
1749, the town hall was rebuilt in the Baroque style, and almost a
hundred years later the wooden ceiling in the rooms and the clock
tower and bell are dated. The facade in the facade is decorated with
the emblems of the city and the Buquoy family.
Novohrad Museum,
Česká street
Zevl's mill