The ruins of Hukvaldy castle

The village of Hukvaldy is the last Lachian village on the border of Wallachia-Lachia in the Beskydy foothills. It gets its name, according to legend, from great numbers of wood fairies known as hukalkies that roamed around the deep forests in ancient times. More likely it comes from a garbled version of the name of the German Count of Hückeswagen, who built the castle in the middle of the 13th century.

The ruins of Hukvaldy Castle sprawl all about the hill above the village. First mention of the castle dates back to 1285; its beginnings even further back to the middle of the 13th century when it and the village were founded by the Hückeswagen clan. During the 14th century the castle came under the proprietorship of the Bishop of Olomouc, who was forced, due to financial reasons, to mortgage the castle, and it thereafter changed owners often until the bishopric regained ownership of the castle during the 16th century. It remained the sole owner until it was nationalized in 1948.

The castle was left in ruins after it was abandoned during the 20th century. Its decrepit state started in 1762 when a destructive fire broke out following a lightning strike on the wooden administrative building in the main courtyard. The castle then fell into ruins and not until the 19th century did at least the most necessary reconstruction take place. Hukvaldy was already being written about during this time as a romantic ruin and destination for many excursions, a situation which continues to this day.

Hukvaldy is an important cultural landmark and every year various events are staged here like the Knights Pageantry, Meeting of Spirits, and many others. The summertime amphitheater, which is part of the castle and has excellent acoustics, regularly hosts the international music festival Janáček Hukvaldy. And why Janáček? Because it was here in 1854 that world-famous composer Leoš Janáček was born. The statue of a fox stands in the Hukvaldy game park as a memorial to his celebrated opera The Cunning Little Vixen. Walks through the castle?s ancient nature reserve soothe the spirit and are pleasing to the eye, particularly during autumn. Moufflon and fallow deer can be spotted between the rows of oak, chestnut and linden trees.

At the beginning of the 20th century Leoš Janáček bought a house here that today serves as the home for the Memorial to the life and work of Leoš Janáček. In the historic part of the home, on the ground floor, you will find three rooms. The original interior of the house has been preserved here, including furnishings from the time when Janáček used the place. You can tour through the drawing room, bedroom and kitchen. An educational exposition has been established on the first floor. Visitors here can listen to a recording of Janáček's works or watch films with music about the composer's life and works. He drew motifs for his operas from Hukvaldy, and he captured the atmosphere of the region in his choral works composed to the poetry of Petr Bezruč.

If you would like to have a look at the birthplace of Leoš Janáček, you will find it on the left above the Baroque church of St. Maximilian. An information center occupies the premises. The neighboring Hukvaldy Gallery contains an exhibition of the works of contemporary artists inspired by more than just this region.

Hukvaldy also offers you a look inside the Museum of Tin, where tin artifacts created by craftsmen from home and abroad in the 18th and 19th centuries are on display, from ordinary items for daily living (bowls, plates, kettles, candlesticks, and bottles for transporting beer and wine) to religious items. Altogether they number about 200 tin objects.

If you are really curious and happen to appreciate butterflies and beetles, we recommend you visit the EXOTIC Gallery of Butterflies and Beetles. You will find all kinds of interesting information about the insect kingdom and singular specimens of butterflies and beetles. Everything is accompanied by expert presentation.

In the Dolní Sklenov section of Hukvaldy you can get a healthy supply of vitamin B at the family-run brewery that uses single-mash technology to brew yeast beer.