The Valeč Chateau in the Karlovy Vary region is open all year round. The area is a unique example of High Baroque architecture and landscape urbanism. The adjacent garden was one of the most beautiful in the country at that time, thanks to Matthias Bernard Braun, among others. The exposition of the lapidarium contains a display of sculptures from the workshop of the leading Baroque sculptor, which includes a total of 28 originals, which are located in the historical building of the former forge. The sculptures are additionally supplemented with sound and light effects.
Valeč Castle is one of the most beautiful and interesting Baroque castles in western Bohemia. It is located in the picturesque village of Valeč in the Karlovy Vary Region, near the town of Karlovy Vary. It enchants its visitors not only with its architecture and rich history, but also with its extensive castle park with unique sculptural gems. The first written records of Valč date back to the 14th century, when a Gothic fortress stood here. The chateau acquired its present appearance mainly in the 17th and 18th centuries, when it was owned by the noble family of Štampach. At that time, extensive Baroque reconstruction was carried out according to the plans of prominent architects such as Jan Kryštof Kosch and Jan Antonín Bian Rossa, who gave the castle its present appearance.
The castle flourished especially at the beginning of the 18th century, when it was owned by Jan Ferdinand Kager of Štampach. It was at this time that the gardens around the chateau were decorated with unique Baroque sculptures created by the famous sculptor Matthias Bernard Braun. However, the statues were removed from the Valeč castle after a fire in 1979. For many decades they stayed in the depository of the Kladruby Monastery, while only copies were placed in Valeč. However, Valeč Castle has undergone extensive reconstruction in recent years and is now open to the public. It offers interior tours, exhibitions and cultural events. For lovers of history, art and Baroque atmosphere, a visit to the castle and its park is an unforgettable experience.
After their return home, the masterpieces from 1735 were placed in the Old Forge, which underwent a thorough reconstruction. The chateau cooperated with the Faculty of Art and Design of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, which prepared original lighting and sound effects. You will see 28 original sculptures inspired by the Braun sculpture set in Kuks. A set of allegories of human characteristics, mythological figures and even a statue of Count Spork, who was linked by friendship with the lord of Wallachia, were created in Wallachia.
The Lapidarium shows not only the original sculptures from the garden (Dido, Chronos and Selene, Chronos and Éós, Olympos, Silenos, Satyr, Pan, Dionysos, Attis, Hermes and Aphrodite, Meleagros and Atalanta, Aphrodite, Demeter, Ares, Herakles, David - with a newly remodelled head or Count Spork, but also those whose copies were stolen from the park in 2003 and 2004 (Vanity, Cunning, Modesty, Philosophy, Poetry, Polyhymnia and the sculpture of Dionysos and Persephone). As a complete novelty for those who know only the existing copies will be the statues of Envy, Fidelity, Perseus and Andromeda and the Sacrifice of Iphigenia. Come and soak up the atmosphere of ancient times and admire the mastery of one of the greatest Czech sculptors.
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