Hluboka Castle

This fairy tale castle sits on the hill just above Daša's house. I can't believe it took me so long to walk the short way up there!

There was this amazing glass house attached by a private staircase from the upper level of the castle. My photo of the glass house is rather blah, but the stairway still looks enchanting, no?
The front door was huge and beautifully carved. The door handles you can see were about my chin level, and I had to use all my weight to open it.

The door handles were amusingly gruesome. Yes, the bird is eating the guy's eye. It is a nice old fashioned political statement. See, he's a Turk, and they didn't so much like the Turkish rule (though many now might say the turks, so memorably scorned here, don't seem so bad compared to subsequent invasions)

Inside, there were two courtyards. I've never seen a castle like this one before. For one, the whole thing was all of one theme. No centuries of differing opinions on what was in style. All of white stone and dark wood, it seemed to glow. And the entire place was covered in deer heads and other relics of the hunting obsession of the crazy rich. (I think they might of even covered all those statues with hides and such, but it's mostly worn off by now)

Courtyard 1

I loved the windows. There were bazillions of them (obviously not a strategic sort of place). And while it must have been wonderfully light inside, you could never get a clear glimpse in or out.

Passing to the 2nd courtyard

From inside this main courtyard
This is the tallest tower

The main balcony, ornate, no?

Looking back the way we came

We couldn't go in, closed for the winter like everything else, but I got these pics through one of the few clear windows. Not the greatest, I know, but still!

More dead animals.

The staircase in the main entrance under the big balcony

This was a door knocker on a side door, I loved it.

Walking back out

More gory turks

Some outside views
They hold a lot of weddings here in the summer
The main church, I think. Attached by the glass house

Dasa says the garden is pretty spectacular in the warm season. You could tell even now. In between all the topiary stuff, there were roses, bulbs, all sorts of potential.

I have to say, this is the first castle I've been to that actually looks as good or even better close up than from a distance. It really felt like the home of a fairytale princess