About the castle

Mikulov and the area around it have been inhabited since ancient times. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a log building on top of Castle Hill from the second half of the 11th century. This structure most likely was associated with the border between Moravia and Austria that was established in 1082 after Czech King Vratislav defeated the Austrian Babenbergs. After this building was violently destroyed, work began on a stone castle, which was incorporated into the system of border fortresses stretching from Břeclav to Bítov. At the time, the castle was a rectangular, two-storey residential palace and stood on the highest point of the rugged hilltop, protected by a wall or palisade.

In 1249, the Moravian Margrave Přemysl, who later became Czech King Přemysl Otakar II, sold Mikulov to the Austrian nobleman Heinrich I of Liechtenstein. The Liechtensteins gradually expanded the castle to meet the needs of their growing family. New residential and farming buildings were added to the old Romanesque palace, expanding the castle complex to the south. Mikulov became the Liechtensteins’ main residence in Moravia. In 1380 Johann I and Heinrich II of Liechtenstein founded a castle chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist. In 1403 the Liechtensteins also freed the Czech King Wenceslaus IV from prison in Vienna. The king then found refuge at Mikulov Castle for some time.

In 1426, during the Hussite Wars, the town of Mikulov was captured and heavily damaged. The Romanesque Church of St. Wenceslaus was destroyed. The Hussites, however, failed to take the castle, proof of its excellent defensive features. In response to ongoing military threats, in the 1430s the Liechtensteins fundamentally expanded the castle to the north and built two massive towers – Břitová Tower and Udírenská Tower – to fend off enemy attacks. The Liechtensteins also developed agriculture and founded vast fishponds between Mikulov and Lednice.

After the catastrophic loss at the Battle of Mohács and the subsequent expansion of the Ottoman Empire, the threat of further war forced all border towns, castles, fortresses, and monasteries to erect better fortifications and build up supplies of weapons, ammunition, and food. In 1544, it was decided that castles would be used to signal a Turkish attack by firing canons and lighting fires. Such signal castles included Mikulov and nearby Děvičky Castle in the Pálava Hills. The Liechtensteins made major architectural changes to the castle complex, building four massive artillery roundels of the type known from Italian defensive architecture, protruding from the main wall. With this change the castle transformed into a Renaissance star fort meant to protect against the Turks.

The Liechtensteins’ poor financial situation at the time forced the family to make a major concession – in 1560 they sold their main residence in Mikulov to the Hungarian nobleman Ladislaus Kerecseny for 60,000 thalers. After this family died out in 1572, the estate was transferred to Emperor Maxmilian II by escheat. Because the emperor was heavily in debt to one of his most loyal nobles – Adam of Dietrichstein – the lucrative Mikulov estate fell into the hands of this family, originally from Carinthia, sometime between 1574 and 1576.

With the support of the Dietrichstein family, this well-located centre on Moravia’s southern border, with its excellent soil, vineyards, fishponds, and bustling trade, soon became an important Moravian town. The castle complex, with its massive artillery roundels that still protrude from the castle walls today, was gradually modified to make for a comfortable residence. Adam’s youngest son, Franz (1570–1636) – a prince, cardinal, and the bishop of Olomouc – left the most significant mark on the history of the town and the castle. After the capital of the monarchy was moved from Prague to Vienna, Franz immediately reacted, moving his episcopal seat from Kroměříž to the better-located Mikulov, which was much closer to the imperial court. He had his new home transformed into a luxurious Mannerist residence in the Italian style with comfortable chambers for the family, ceremonial halls, gazebos, and an ornamental garden. New residential and office wings were added. Later, in the northern bailey, a free-standing building with a cellar featuring the large Golden Hall for holding festivities and theatre performances was constructed. After the post-White Mountain confiscations, Franz became one of the wealthiest landowners in the country; at Mikulov Castle he amassed an extensive library, which was, however, looted by the Swedes in 1645.

In the Baroque period, Mikulov Caste underwent constant renovations and repairs. Major construction work was undertaken between 1699 and 1708 during the reign of Prince Leopold Ignaz of Dietrichstein. The newly rebuilt buildings, however, were destroyed by fire in the summer of 1719. Prince Walter Xaver of Dietrichstein decided to rebuild the castle in the high Baroque style. He hired the imperial architect and builder Christian Alexander Oedtl to head up the construction work. He had new wings added to the exterior of the perimeter walls to the south and west. Between 1720 and 1724, the Sala terrena with Baroque frescoes by painter Georg Werle was built on the ground floor of the south wing above the Castle Garden. The Golden Hall, featuring a theatre, was modified, and the Liechtenstein Library was moved to this space. Prominent Bavarian sculptor Ignaz Lengelacher decorated the castle with his sculptures. In the 19th century the castle acquired several minor features in the then-popular neo-Classicist and Romantic styles. It nonetheless maintained its overall Baroque character.

During its nearly 1,000-year history, Mikulov Castle has welcomed many significant guests. Among the most prominent visitors have been Emperor Rudolph II, Emperor Ferdinand II, Emperor Leopold I and his wife Infanta Margaret of Spain, Empress Maria Theresa, Napoleon Bonaparte, and the Iron Chancellor Otto von Bismarck.

In April 1945, as Soviet troops were liberating South Moravia, Mikulov Castle suffered heavy damage from a massive fire that destroyed most of the interiors and many works of art. The palace building, which lay in ruins, was later rebuilt in the 1950s and 1960s by architect Otakar Oplatek with support from the Czechoslovak state and adapted for the needs of offices and the town museum.