Konice Chateau

This Baroque chateau with two gardens is the pride of the town of Konice. It houses the Museum of Local Handicrafts.

The chateau was built on the site of a Gothic fort of a trapezoidal shape, with a palace at the south side. It was first redeveloped in the 14th century, and further transformations ensued until the last Baroque redevelopment by Lukas Glöckel in 1703 - 1705.

When seen from the outside, the square courtyard with open, two-storey arcades catches the attention of visitors. The interior features a luxurious staircase with a stone balustrade and valuable frescos, such as the Feast of the Holy Family in the Grand Hall, in which ceremonies and classical music concerts take place. The most famous dynasty that ruled here – for 220 years – was the House of Švábenice. The neighbouring Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary contains tombstones of some members of the family. The two buildings are interconnected, forming an unmistakable landmark of the town. In 1825, industrialist Karel Příza from Brno bought the chateau and turned it into a family residence that lasted until 1945.

The Museum of Local Handicrafts presents various trades with long traditions, such as grain milling, manufacture of scales, blacksmithing, brewing, and dressmaking. A number of rare exhibits are on display at the museum, for instance the oldest preserved tower clockwork in the region and firearms from Napoleonic Wars.

The museum also boasts the largest collection of axes , recorded in the Guiness Book of Records. There are all existing types of axes – from the Stone-Age predecessors of axes – hand axes – to the Viking axe, and axes for various trades, up to and including the executioner’s axe. The collection includes the largest Czech axe and lumberjack saw, so huge that it had to remain outside in front of the chateau.