Bouzov castle is widely considered to be one of the most spectacularly set, photogenic castles in the Czech Republic, and is a very popular location for filming fairytales.
A daytrip there from Olomouc is especially good if you leave early enough to also visit the Javořičko caves. There’s a 5km-long marked walking trail that connects the two, much of which is along a roadside through forest, but with excellent views of the castle once you emerge. Javořičko caves are not as breathtaking as Punkevní caves (see 'More rocks than you can poke a stick at'), but together with the castle, they make for a great full-day trip.
The best way to get there is by bus via Litovel, which you will recognize in the distance because of its two tall, white silos. Hop off at the first main stop in town, Palackeho, to catch your next bus in the opposite direction (back towards Olomouc, but they will turn the corner). Ask the driver for a ticket to Javořičko (yavor-zichko). The bus system is different to the train system and you will need a separate ticket for each leg of the journey.
As the bus passes through Chudobin, you will be able to see the orthodox church of Sts Cyril and Methodius and the church of the Hussite brethren, with its characteristic cup symbol. Both of these churches stay locked, except for Mass on Sunday mornings.
At Javořičko, the bus will leave you across from a small carpark with a couple of kiosks. Continue on in the direction of the carpark for about 20 metres and cross the bridge. The K JESKYNIM signs point the way to the caves.
The Memorial
At the beginning of the trail, you’ll see a monument with some workers and a Russian soldier raising a flag. The inscription on the pedestal translates as:
"You who have come to this quiet corner of Moravia from your comfortable homes, stop at least a moment before the memorial and mass-grave and pay your respects to the citizens of Javořičko who fell on the blue, cloudless morning of the 5th of May 1945 to the gunshots of German fascists. Citizens of the settlement were going about their work, not expecting to be surrounded by the green uniforms of the SS. There was no escape. The SS-men who arrived in the settlement dragged the people from their homes, divided the men from the women, the sons from their fathers, and began their beastly work. The fascists began to loot, plunder, devastate and destroy. Men from 15 to 75 years were shot on the thresholds of their burning homes and barns. 38 men and boys fell here, on the threshold of freedom and a new life. Never Again!"
The concrete pavers show the position and size of the hole that was used as the grave. The village that stands today was built close to the site of the original village, which was completely destroyed.
Javořičko Jeskyne-The Caves
At the caves, the shorter 40-minute tour covers the best parts of the caves and costs 50Kc for adults/25Kc for students. The 60-minute tour is 60Kc/30Kc. Permission to take photos is an extra 10Kc. The average temperature of the caves is 7.5 degrees C, so be sure to have something warm to wear. The caves are home to colonies of small bats, which the guide will point out during the tour. Don’t worry too much about not understanding the guide, because the tour consists mostly of contrived names for the different formations, like Niagara Falls, Madonna and Child, the Organ Pipes and the Ice-cream Cake. The printed English text is adequate and the tour is conducted to a soundtrack heavily influenced by Phil Collins, Toto, and the music from the movie Top Gun.
Javořičko to Bouzov
From the caves, Bouzov is about a 5km walk. The blue trail starts in Javořičko and continues on in the same direction as the bus that brought you there (west). The trail follows a narrow sealed road, and is a gentle fairly flat walk. Not many cars use this road, but those that do seem happy to pick up hitchhikers. Your chance of being picked up by someone who speaks English is probably pretty slim but German might be more likely. You’ll pass a couple of carp-ponds, leave the forest, and then be able to see Bouzov Castle across the open fields. If you didn’t lunch at one of the hamburger stands at Javořičko, the restaurant at the Hotel U Cimbury on the square in Bouzov township is reasonably good value.
Bouzov Castle
From Bouzov township, it’s easy to find your way to the castle, where tours cost 80Kc for adults/40Kc for students. They charge 20Kc to rent you a foreign-language text, and there’s also a 100Kc deposit for the text. If the tower-only tours are running, they cost 50Kc. The castle is open May-September every day except Mondays, and in April-October only on weekends.
Construction of Bouzov castle was begun in the early 1300s by Lord Bouzov but had several further owners before the century was out. In 1408 the castle passed into the hands of Viktorin of Bouzov. A son born to Viktorin at Bouzov castle went on to become King of Bohemia, Jiři of Podebrady. The fate of the castle during the thirty years war is uncertain, with some historians believing that the castle held against the invading Swedes, and others believing it to be almost completely destroyed by the Imperial army. It is known that in 1695 Bouzov was obtained by the Order of Teutonic Knights, but it suffered from neglect throughout the following 200 years. Around the turn of the 20th century, the original gothic castle was transformed into a grand palatial residence for the Great Master of the Order, Archduke Eugenius.
The reconstruction approximately followed the ground plan of the old castle, but any similarity with the previous building finished there. The new castle, in the late German Gothic style, is adorned with small towers, projecting balconies and other unusual details that help to make it such a popular location for the filming of fairytales and fantasy films.
The bus back to Litovel leaves from just below the town square, about 40metres along the street near the two phone boxes, and passes through Bila Lhota (notable for its rich collection of more than 400 species of rare trees in the palace gardens) and Mladeč (with another series of caves and a karst ridge overlooking the Morava river.) From Litovel there are frequent buses back to Olomouc until about 10pm.
Tips about the trip
To make the daytrip worthwhile, you need to have departed Olomouc no later than 10am. The journey is less than 40Km, but will take almost an hour by public transport.
The castle and caves are both closed every Monday. The castle is open the other six days of the week from the beginning of May until the end of September and only on weekends in April and October. The caves are open six days a week April through October and only by appointment in the winter months.
Castle phone: +420 585346254
Website: www.hrad-bouzov.cz
Caves phone: +420 585345451
Website: www.caves.cz/javoricko