Smilkov – Castle History, Garden Theatre and Hilly Landscape

Smilkov Between Landscape and Castle History

Smilkov lies in a hilly landscape on the edge of Česká Sibiř and Český Merán. If you would like to combine natural surroundings with cultural history, you will encounter a variety of historical traces here: a medieval fortress, a castle dating from the end of the 17th century, Baroque garden architecture and a Neo-Gothic chapel. Smilkov is also one of the twelve municipalities in the Voticko microregion, which cooperate within the Kraj blanických rytířů tourist area. The village thus brings together landscape, local history and distinctive buildings to create a varied destination for exploration.

From Medieval Fortress Site to Castle

A fortress already stood in Smilkov in the middle of the 14th century. The local landowners adopted the name “Lords of Smilkov” from this fortress. Smilkov Castle has stood since the end of the 17th century. At the same time, the two-winged Smilkov Castle may have been built on the foundations of an older fortress. The possible older predecessor structure thus remains identifiable as a historical link between the two construction phases, without reducing the development of the village to a single period. For visitors who enjoy tracing historical developments at specific locations, several layers of time are directly at the heart of the site: the medieval fortress, the history of the landowners’ name and the later castle.

Castle Garden, Garden Theatre and Chapels

Smilkov’s most important landmark is a Baroque two-winged castle. It is surrounded by a castle garden with an amphitheatre decorated with allegorical statues. The Smilkov castle complex also includes the Chapel of St. Anne. The garden theatre in Smilkov has a particularly distinctive character: it is a uniquely designed Baroque garden complex of Italian type. Terraces, ramps and stairways form a richly articulated architectural composition with a theatrical character above a central basin that has since been filled in. A Neo-Gothic chapel also stands in the middle of Smilkov village square. During a walk, you can therefore distinguish between various forms of historical architecture without reducing the history of the village to a single building.

Cycling and Historical Discoveries

The “Z Miličína Českou Sibiří” cycling route is designed for mountain bikes and trekking bikes. Cycling is therefore one of the documented ways to explore the landscape around the theme of Česká Sibiř. If you would prefer to focus your trip on cultural history, the water castle of Kouty offers another distinctive point of interest. The complex was probably built in the 14th century. Today, visitors can view the surviving remains of the rectangular structure. This different perspective is useful when planning: on the one hand, there is the landscape-oriented cycling route; on the other, the surviving fabric of a medieval water castle.

The Příkop pond lies southwest of the castle; a well house is located on its southern shore. The pond thus complements the buildings at the castle and on the village square with a landscape feature.

More Destinations for Your Research

If you would like to compare other places in addition to Smilkov, you can also discover Čeřenice, Litichovice, Heřmaničky, Pysely, Studený, Merin, Neustupov and Dunice.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Benešov.