The castle is still neglected by tourists
The first mention of Ratají nad Sázavou is from 1156, when there was a log-brick castle. The owners changed here very often. In 1420, Rataj was acquired by Hynek Ptáček from Lipá and Pirkštejn, who was the guardian of little Jiří of Poděbrady. In 1531, Rataj was owned by Ladislav of Malešice and began construction of a Renaissance chateau. In 1656 another reconstruction took place into its current form. Since 1933, the chateau has been bought by the municipality and a school has been established there. Now the castle is under reconstruction, but open to the public.
First impressions
At first glance, you can see the reason why the Rataj Castle is neglected by tourists. From the outside, the castle doesn't look very tempting. However, there is an extensive reconstruction, which starts from the interior.
Renaissance wing
The photo shows the oldest renaissance wing of the castle. The remaining two wings are rebuilt in the Baroque style. This part was also to undergo a Baroque reconstruction, however, during the work, the then owners ran out of money.
Sun-dial
Although the facade of the castle has not been preserved much, we can still admire the local sundial :)
Exhibitions
The interiors of the castle are newly renovated and we can admire an interesting combination of exhibitions – an exhibition of prams and chainsaws :)
Original fireplace
Exhibitions of all kinds of artists are now being held in the main hall. The oldest part is a fireplace, which has been preserved in its original form.
Painting
The reconstruction involved all rooms in the castle, including the attic.
Chapel
The chateau chapel now serves as a ceremonial hall. Unfortunately, even after the reconstruction, there is a big problem with moisture and the paint peels off.
Pirkštejn
Rataje has not only a chateau, but also Pirkštejn Castle from the 14th century. Later, the castle served as a rectory and bell tower. It is now inaccessible to the public.
The city of Rataj
Rataj nad Sazavou is a quiet town. I found it quite depopulated. A large number of houses are empty here, no restaurants. Unfortunately, tourists are annoyed when they have nowhere to eat and there will be no restaurant without tourists, because they will not eat …
Ratajska view
If we want to take a short walk, we can walk from the castle to the Ratajský view. From here there is a beautiful view of the Sázava valley.
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