Black Tower + Black Kitchen

The Black Tower can be visited without guide. Jindřichův Hradec castle is a complex of large and expressive buildings and it isn't possible to say that the Black Tower is its dominant point, but it is certain that the tower contributes to castle's imposing look. Comparing to other observation towers the local Black Tower offers panoramic and beautiful view of the whole town and its wide surroundings. Newly, the visitors of the Black Tower may visit also the Black Kitchen.

Lords of Hradec had to build the Black Tower along with the Old Palace and castle's walls at the beginning of 13th century. Such towers were called "Berfgrieds". Their reason was partly defensive but they weren't built in the line of defensive walls like fortified towers but stood often apart from other castle's buildings, connected with them just with light wooden walkways. They had the function of watchtowers and were prepared for cases of fight within the castle - as the refuge towers for the last resistance. The local Bergfried's only entrance was originally in the height of 13 m. The later structural development connected the tower with the Old Palace.

The tower's measurement are interesting. The height and circuit are the same - 32 m (104,99 ft. or 35yd.). The diameter makes slightly more than 10 m. The only wall of the tower is approximately 4 m thick (13,12 ft. or 4,37 yd.) up to 20 m of its height.  

The Black Tower was also used as the prison. There were also well known personalities of Czech history among the people imprisoned in the local tower - controversial preacher Martin Houska in January 1421 and Baron Zikmund of Vartenberg who was imprisoned for the betrayal of Czech King Albrech in 1438. Baron Zikmund died in the tower after few weeks. In 1784, the new entrance into tower was created in the ground floor and the tower was used as a prison for "insubordinate dependants". The last inhabitants of the tower were two Russian bears, which brought earl Jaromír Černín from his travels in 1848.     

Opening hours

Period Days Hours
1. 5. wed 10.00 – 16.00
8. 5. wed 10.00 – 16.00
9. 5.-31. 5. sat–sun 10.00 – 12.00, 13.00 – 16.00
1. 6.-30. 6. tue–sun 10.00 – 12.00, 13.00 – 16.00
1. 7.-1. 9. mon–sun 10.00 – 17.00
2. 9.-30. 9. sat–sun 10.00 – 12.00, 13.00 – 16.00

Admission

Without guide
  • Adults 25 up to 64 years 80 CZK
  • Seniors 65+ 60 CZK
  • Youth 18 up to 24 years 60 CZK
  • Persons with disabilities with valid identification card/certificate 60 CZK
  • Children 6 up to 17 years 20 CZK
  • Children under 5 years free
  • Person accompanying a disabled person free
  • Person accompanying a school group of 15 pupils/students free
  • Guide accompanying a group of at least 15 persons free
  • "MK ČR" card * not available
  • ICOMOS card * not available
  • Seasonal NPÚ ticket free
  • Single NPÚ tickets free
  • NPÚ card free
  • "Náš člověk" card * free
  • * Valid only for one person (card holder)

Other tours

This tour leads through the first floor of Adam's building. It presents especially the representative lifestyle of Czech kingdom's supreme officials - Lords of Hradec, who had very high expectations on the look of their main residence. The second half of the tour shows chambers with younger - baroque and classicistic furnishings, which remember...

this tour is available today 10.00 – 12.00, 13.00 – 15.15

4F17A2ED-8B52-4F67-8D80-EE0130BE50BE 240 CZK (full admission) 2F500991-B0F5-4AC5-9B90-2BBFBDCDFC45 Buy ticket

71B5B7E7-ACEA-4214-84EB-20FF073CEC43 duration 50 minutes

94D4AB38-6EA4-4B19-9C7F-17B845D49188 max. 30 people

Group reservation needed for groups only

More information

Gothic palace tour was newly furnished with many interesting exhibits, archeological finds and equipped with the new lighting lately. The tour represents, in an attractive way, the life style of the supreme chancellors, burgraves and judges of the Bohemian Kingdom, Lords of Hradec. The interiors of the Gothic Palace offer an overview of the...

this tour is not available today

4F17A2ED-8B52-4F67-8D80-EE0130BE50BE 140 CZK (full admission) 2F500991-B0F5-4AC5-9B90-2BBFBDCDFC45 Buy ticket

71B5B7E7-ACEA-4214-84EB-20FF073CEC43 duration 70 minutes

94D4AB38-6EA4-4B19-9C7F-17B845D49188 max. 25 people

Group reservation needed for groups only

More information

Czernins - ambassadors, travelers, collectors. The exhibition presents the not much generally known theme - the diplomatic missions of the Czech nobility between the 17th and 20th century. Another half of the exhibition presents the charming world of the movable marionettes of the designer Stanislava Stuchlá.

this tour is not available today

4F17A2ED-8B52-4F67-8D80-EE0130BE50BE 100 CZK (full admission) 2F500991-B0F5-4AC5-9B90-2BBFBDCDFC45 Buy ticket

71B5B7E7-ACEA-4214-84EB-20FF073CEC43 duration 0 minutes

94D4AB38-6EA4-4B19-9C7F-17B845D49188 max. 40 people

Group reservation needed for groups only

More information

The selection of tours presents the bigger part of the castle's structural development. The visitors will see the buildings and interiors from the gothic period to the late Renaissance. The tour starts in the old Black kitchen, continues in the representative chambers of the Lords of Hradec and ends in the music pavilion Rondell.

this tour is not available today

4F17A2ED-8B52-4F67-8D80-EE0130BE50BE 220 CZK (full admission)

71B5B7E7-ACEA-4214-84EB-20FF073CEC43 duration 50 minutes

94D4AB38-6EA4-4B19-9C7F-17B845D49188 max. 40 people

Group reservation needed for groups only

More information