Zvikov Castle in the Czech Republic
Rating: 7,5/10 (100 votes)  The narrow fortress of Zvikov is located at the confluence of the Ostrava and Vltava rivers. The foundation of the castle was carried out during the reign of Premysl Otakar the First. The first written mention of the castle dates back to 1234. The massive quadrangular tower of Gliz is the most ancient part of the castle. Initially, the tower was conceived as a corner element, to which the wings of the fortress were supposed to adjoin. During the reign of King Wenceslas I, a wing for the church was built. And under Premysl Otakar, the Second building added four more wings, which at that time was a rather non-standard layout. The north and west wings housed many cozy living rooms, and in the east wing there was a large executive hall. The Chapel of St. Wenceslas was located on the ground floor in the south wing. Arcade galleries connected all the rooms of the castle. The southern side of the castle was fortified with a powerful tower. The entrance to the castle was on the south side and passed through the Pisetsky gate. The Premyslov clan ruled the castle until 1306, then it passed to Bavor III. After the death of King Wenceslas III, Indrikh of Rozhemberg became the owner of the castle. In 1337, the castle was bought by Karl Zvikov, who immediately carried out a number of reconstruction works in the castle. In 1429, during the Hussite wars, the castle was badly damaged during the sieges. In 1437, Sigmund Zvikov exchanged castles with the Rozhemberks. To protect the castle from capture, it was decided on the northern side to build a structure against the stone machines, which included six bastions surrounded by a deep ditch. The castle was in the possession of the Rozhembergs until 1573. Three years later, the castle was sold by Emperor Maximilian II to the Schwambergs. Later the castle was reconstructed and acquired the Renaissance style. The castle reached its peak during the reign of the Protestant Peter, who closely followed the fortification of the fortress. In 1623 the Egenbergs became the owners of the castle. The castle was later resold again, and the Schwarzenbergs became its new owners. Subsequently, the castle began to collapse, and was turned into a warehouse for grain. In 1810, the castle underwent a large-scale reconstruction, after which the structure acquired the appearance of in the style of romanticism. Also, the inner vaults of the large tower were gradually updated, the roof and steps were redone. The castle was restored to its proper form by the 1900s. In the 60s of the XX century, a platinum was erected in the Orlik region, as a result of which Lake Eagle was formed. The rise of water hid the Church of St. Mikulas and the castle walls, depriving the Zviks of the title of king of Czech castles.  
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