Stružná - Chateau

The Neo-Renaissance chateau in the village of Stružné in the Karlovy Vary Region is a significant cultural monument in the region. The site—like the adjacent estate—was originally known as Kysíbl (Gieshübel) until 1949.

The first mention of the village dates back to the pre-Hussite period, while the local estate is first mentioned in 1446, when it was occupied by Mikuláš of Kracín, who was likely part of the manorial system of Andělská Hora Castle (subordination to Andělská Hora was definitively confirmed only in the land register of 1536). In 1570, Kašpar Colonna of Fels purchased the estate, and his son Linhart had a late Renaissance chateau built on a rectangular floor plan. After its confiscation in 1622, the property was acquired by Heřman Černín of Chudenice. Under his son Humprecht Jan Černín, Stružná Castle underwent Baroque reconstruction beginning in the second half of the 1660s, with the participation of Italian architects (Ceresola, Caratti, Alliprandi). The addition of two side wings created a three-story building. However, the costly construction projects financially drained the Černín family, and the estate fell into decline.

Subsequently, several owners took turns (the Hartigs, Stiebar of Butterheim, Jan Antonín Hladík). Furthermore, the castle burned down in 1811, so it was rebuilt in the Empire style (though without the second floor). In 1829, it was purchased by Knight Vilém Neuberk. In 1868, Stružná was acquired by Heřman Černín-Morzin, who carried out a grand Neo-Renaissance reconstruction between 1876 and 1884, giving the castle its current appearance. It took on the form of a stately residence with two towers, the Chapel of the Holy Cross, and a twelve-hectare English park.

The Černín-Morzin family owned the estate until 1930, after which it was held by Leopold of Šternberk until the end of World War II. After World War II, the castle passed into the ownership of the USSR (1948) and subsequently the Czechoslovak state (1956), which established barracks there. The building suffered significant damage during the military’s occupation. In the early 1990s, it passed into private hands, and since 2023 it has been owned by Mr. and Mrs. Pěnkava, who are working on its gradual restoration. Neither the castle nor the park is currently open to the public.