Starý zámek Batelov

Starý zámek Batelov stands in the small town of Batelov in the Vysočina Region. It sits close to the newer Batelov château, both protected as cultural monuments of the Czech Republic. The site once held a fortress that belonged to the Lords of Batelov, built near a stream southwest of today’s church. Around 1400 a new fortress was erected on the left bank of the Jihlava River to guard a crossing. Over time the exact spot of the original fortress became unclear because of the later buildings. The present single-storey château was rebuilt in the late 16th century by Jiří Čížovský of Čížov in the Renaissance style. It served briefly as a noble residence before being converted into offices for the estate administration at the turn of the 17th century. A Baroque remodelling followed, and the last major changes came in 1880. After restoration the building remains closed to visitors. The rectangular château has a central turret and white walls with traces of sgraffito decoration. Its windows are framed in stone. The building forms part of a courtyard on the northern edge of the town and connects at right angles to the new château. Nearby roads and marked trails pass the site, including a green hiking route from Batelov’s Míru Square to Těšenov and a cycle path running behind the château.