History of the chateau
The chateau in the village of Manětín blossomed more than ever before during the 17th century, when reconstruction efforts were put in place by Countess Marie Gabriela Lažanská and Wenseslas Josef Lažanský after the chateau suffered a great fire. At the age of 20, the Countess had already given birth to four children, was newly married and also held the weight of the entire manor, which had recently been devastated by a fire, on her shoulders. Despite it all, she was able to turn Manětín into both a cultural and social hub.
However, the Countess allegedly suffered with one vice: gambling. As the story goes, she once even bet her entire manor on one hand of cards. Thankfully, her waiter Karásek saved the situation by noticing each player’s hand while he poured their wine. From what he saw, he could tell the Countess was bound to lose. He, of course, didn’t want her to lose the manor, so he decided to intervene. He knocked over the table with everyone’s wine right when the game was nearing its end. When the Countess came to know that her waiter had done this on purpose, she dedicated a mill house on the Střela River to him. To this day, the mill house still goes by the name Karásek’s Mill (Karáskův mlýn).
Countess Lažanská was known for cherishing those who worked for her. Even now, when visiting the chateau you can admire her gallery featuring portraits of her former staff. The Manětín Chateau neighbours the city’s main city square, where you can also find the Baroque Church of St. John the Baptist. Before making your trip to Manětín, feel free to contact our colleagues at the local information centre (tel: +420 373 392 161, +420 373 392 160; e-mail: info@manetin.cz).
