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All Czechia Bítov Bítov Castle

Bítov Castle

The castle in the romantic landscape of Podyjí houses what may be Europe's largest collection of taxidermy dogs.

Bítov, Czechia

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slecnave
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Taxidermy dogs   Palickap / CC BY-SA 4.0
Taxidermy dogs   Palickap / CC BY-SA 4.0
  slecnave / Atlas Obscura User
  Palickap / CC BY-SA 4.0
Bitov Castle   ::ErWin / CC BY-ND 2.0
  slecnave / Atlas Obscura User
  slecnave / Atlas Obscura User
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Bítov Castle was built on the site of an eighth-century Moravian hillfort above the confluence of the rivers Dyje and Želetavka. The castle was built in the 11th century, but its current appearance largely dates back to the 19th century.

Apart from the history and beautiful views of the landscape, however, it is worth mentioning the large collection of taxidermy dogs, as well as other animals stylized into often obscure scenes. Baron Jiří Haas, who in his time transformed Bítov into one of the largest private zoos in the region, was responsible for this peculiarity. His favorite pet was his pony, who regularly indulged in beer and even got drunk on it, and then harassed the castle staff when drunk.

Speaking of alcohol, the castle has a romantic wine cellar with excellent regional wines and spirits.

Related Tags

Animals Oddities Castles Dogs Taxidermy

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slecnave

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

April 27, 2023

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Bítov Castle
Bítov 1
Bítov, 671 07
Czechia
48.943839, 15.700465
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