ZAMEK BITOV

The castle in Bitov in the Czech Republic in the South Moravian country dates back to the 11th century, which makes it one of the oldest preserved buildings of this type of our southern neighbor. The first references to the existence of a wooden castle in Bitov come from 1061-1067. The stronghold had great defensive properties. At the beginning of the 13th century, most likely during the reign of Přemysl Otakar I of the Přemyslid dynasty, the stronghold was transformed into a stone castle to guard the southern border of the Czech state, playing a very important role in the defense system of the monarchy. At the beginning of the 14th century, the castle passed into the hands of the Lichtenberg family, who erected the chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the castle and initiated the construction of today's palace. In the 19th century, the castle was rebuilt in a pseudo-gothic style. The last owner of the castle was Baron George Haas of Hassenfels, who committed suicide in 1945.