As of 5 April 2025, the gates of castles and chateaus managed by the National Heritage Institute will be reopened. Visitors will find the famous halls, bedrooms and kitchens where history was made - and where heating was once done. But have you ever wondered how it was possible to survive the winter in medieval mansions?
The heating of castles and chateaus in the Czech lands went through a fascinating evolution - from smoke-filled halls to elegant tiled stoves, which were not only a source of pleasant warmth but also an expression of style and social status.
Fire as the centre of medieval life
In the early days, heating was mainly done in open fireplaces. The heat was generated, but unevenly, and the smoke often did not just go up the chimney. Living in stone walls without insulation was not for the cold-hearted - only selected areas were heated, and the rest was supplemented by furs, curtains and thick coats.
The Tile Revolution
A fundamental change was brought about by the advent of closed heating systems - especially tile stovewhich began to appear not only in the mansions of the nobility, but also in town houses and country cottages from the 15th century onwards.
This stove managed to store heat and radiate it evenly for hours. What's more, they became more and more beautiful - glazed, decorated, sometimes even monumental. In the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical periods, they became artistic solitairesdesigned to match the interior. And they were drowned from the back so nothing would interfere with the visual impression.
South Bohemian Treasure: Stoves you don't know (yet)
The real gems are the hundreds of historic stoves preserved in South Bohemia Region. There are over 250 standing pieces in the possession of the National Museum of Natural History alone, and many more in depositories - most of them have never been published.
A team of experts decided to fill this white map as part of a four-year research project "Traditional craft technologies for the preservation of cultural heritage". The result is not only a catalogue of 75 exceptional stoves, but also an engaging read about their history, technology and restoration. You will learn, for example, what an archaeological discovery of a stove reveals or how stoves are built today according to historical designs.
Castle kitchen in Slatiňany: where it smells again
And that historic heaters are not just static exhibits shows functional castle kitchen in Slatiňany. It dates back to the 19th century and is now fully operational - including stoves, open fires and technical "gadgets" of the time such as rotissoire, grilloir or potager.
Slatiňan cuisine is today the only fully functional castle kitchen of its kind in the Czech Republic. And definitely worth a visit. Read more about it HERE.
Lifestyle archaeology
But stoves are not just about warmth. They are a mirror of the times - they reveal how people lived, what they believed and what they considered beautiful. Finds from the Jindřichohradec regionprepared for the first time within the framework of the above-mentioned project, show a wide range of motifs from religious and heraldic to scenes from medieval everyday life and fantasy.
The Lipnik Museum of Tiles: warmth on your own skin
At Lipnice nad Sázavou Castle A new museum of tiles has been created, offering not only a view but also Experience. In the exhibition with replicas of furniture and stoves on weekends in spring and autumn in the stove and fireplace actually flooded. Visitors can experience for themselves the comfort (or lack thereof) of castle life in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Historic heaters are not just silent witnesses to the past - they are a story of craft, culture and ingenuity. And today the story comes to life - in the catalogue, in the kitchen in Slatiňany and in the museum in Lipnice. Follow it - and discover the warmth that has endured for centuries.
