Nové Hrady () is a municipality and village in

Ústí nad Orlicí District Ústí nad Orlicí District () is a Okres, district in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Ústí nad Orlicí, but the most populated town is Česká Třebová. Administrative division Ústí nad Orlicí District ...

in the

Pardubice Region Pardubice Region () is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located mainly in the eastern part of its historical region of Bohemia, with a small part in northwestern Moravia. It is named after its capital Pardubice. As an administrat ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. It has about 300 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Nové Hrady consists of three municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Nové Hrady (230) *Mokrá Lhota (67) *Rybníček (7)

Etymology

After the settlement was founded, it was called Boží Dům (i.e. "God's house") after the first church built in the area. When the old castle was replaced by a new one, the village was renamed Nové Hrady (literally "new castles").

Geography

Nové Hrady is located about southwest of ústí nad Orlicí and southeast of

Pardubice Pardubice (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 92,000 inhabitants. It is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the Elbe River. The historic centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Repub ...

. It lies in the

Svitavy Uplands The Svitavy Uplands or Svitavy Hills () are uplands and a geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located in the Pardubice Region and it belongs to the largest mesoregions in the country. Geomorphology The Svitavy Uplands is a ...

. The highest point is at above sea level. The

Novohradka The Novohradka is a river in the Czech Republic, a right tributary of the Chrudimka River. It flows through the Pardubice Region. It is long. Etymology The river is named after the village of Nové Hrady (Ústí nad Orlicí District), Nové Hrady ...

River flows through the southern and western parts of the municipal territory. A system of fishponds supplied by the brook Hradecký potok is located in the village proper.

History

The first written mention of Nové Hrady is from 1293. At that time, the village belonged to the

Litomyšl Litomyšl (; ) is a town in Svitavy District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 10,000 inhabitants. It is a former bishopric and Latin Catholic titular see. Litomyšl is known for the château-type castle complex of the Lit ...

estate and shared its owner. A late Gothic castle was built on the site of an old castle in 1442–1468 by the then-owner of Litomyšl, Zdeněk Kostka of Postupice, and the Nové Hrady estate was established. The Gothic castle was rebuilt into a Renaissance residence in the 15th century, but during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

, it was looted and destroyed by

Swedish army The Swedish Army () is the army, land force of the Swedish Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Beginning with its service in 1521, the Swedish Army has been active for more than 500 years. History Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1 ...

. Nové Hrady saw its rise in the 18th century. In 1750, the French aristocratic Harbuval de Chamarè family bought the estate and had built the Nové Hrady Castle. The family gradually became poorer, so at the beginning of the 20th century, they sold the estate.

Demographics

Transport

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights

Nové Hrady is known for Nové Hrady Castle. It was built in the

Rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...

style in 1773–1777, in the style of French summer residence. The castle is nicknamed "Czech

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...

" and "Little Schönbrunn". The building is unique within the country for the style in which it was built and because it was never rebuilt. It is privately owned, but it is open to the public and offers sightseeing tours. The castle is surrounded by several gardens and with and English-style park, in which a hill with ruins of the former Gothic castle is located. Other sights include the Church of Saint James the Great, built in the Baroque style in 1724, and the

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Via Dolorosa, Way of Sorrows or the , are a series of fourteen images depicting Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and acc ...

in the English park from 1767.

References

External links

*
Nové Hrady Castle
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nove Hrady Villages in Ústí nad Orlicí District