Hrádek u Nechanic

The château stands as a two‑storey, 19th‑century Gothic‑Romantic country house sited on a promontory about a kilometre northwest of Hrádek village and a short distance southeast of Nechanice. The main plan consists of two symmetrical wings with projecting sections that break the façade rhythm. The westward wing contains a chapel dedicated to St. Ann, while the eastern side contains service ranges and a small theatre, reflecting the building’s combined residential and administrative functions from the time of construction. A prismatic tower topped with battlements and a smaller central shooting tower punctuate the roofline, and each side includes polygonal projecting bays that give the composition a fortified, romantic silhouette. The exterior walls, forms and rooflines date to the original 1839–1857 construction and have been conserved through later repairs; the chapel remains intact and in use for ceremonies.

Interior fittings reflect deliberate historicist decoration in the spirit of the early Renaissance. Extensive carved wood panelling, free‑standing wooden furniture and wall panels survive in their original positions. Original parquet floors and coffered ceilings were installed as part of the furnishing campaign, and marble fireplace surrounds and period wallpapers provide additional finished interiors. Many of these movable elements arrived from Italy and Austria, while local joiners executed other items; a dedicated workshop of woodcarvers completed the major carved work over a multi‑year period. These interior ensembles remain in place as part of the museum display and continue to illustrate the 19th‑century programme of decoration.

The park that surrounds the house covers roughly 30 hectares and was laid out in the English manner as a mix of open meadows and deciduous and coniferous woodland, including some non‑native trees. Within the park a managed reserve and a pheasantry were established, and a large open field was later arranged for playing golf. The grounds were shaped in the decades around the château’s construction and continue to show the planned contrasts between wooded areas and open lawns.

Movable collections and structural conservation form part of the present‑day fabric. The museum retains a picture gallery, a library of about 5,500 volumes, hunting trophies, Meissen porcelain and examples of Bohemian glass produced by the Harrach glassworks. The chapel of St. Ann survives as a consecrated room and is used for weddings. Overall, original ensembles of wooden furniture, panelling and household objects have been preserved in situ, while the building and park have undergone staged restorations to maintain their 19th‑century appearance.