4 Castles and chateaux BítovReason to visitIn the previous century, the castle served as the family residence of its last owner, the somewhat eccentric Baron Haas, who built here what was at that time one of the largest private zoos in Europe. In addition to live animals, he also loved his collections of taxidermied domestic and exotic animals, especially his collection of dogs of 51 different breeds, including the extinct Stable Pinscher. Today the collection is listed in Guinness World Records as the largest of its kind in the world.Of historical interestThe fortified castle on a headland near the confluence of the Želetavka and Dyje rivers in South Moravia guarded the frontier of the Bohemian Kingdom as early as the Middle Ages. Its current appearance is the result of Romantic-style modifications in the 19th century, and it picturesquely complements the local landscape of forests, rivers and hillsides, where sunshine and the crisp Moravian wine reign supreme. The complicated story of one of the oldest royal castles and the lives of its inhabitants is told on four different tour circuits. In addition to the palace and the armoury with its singular exhibits, highlights include the castle prison, dungeon and torture chamber, equipped with replicas of torture devices which visitors can try out for themselves. Státní hrad Bítov671 07 pošta Uherčice actionURI(http://hrad-bitov.cz/en ):
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