Hukvaldy
This once powerful castle is situated on the hill of a picturesque settlement in the Beskydy 
mountains. Here in the small town Hukvaldy, the outstanding Czech composer Leos Janacek was born.
Castle Hukvaldy was founded on the oblong rocky hill in approximately 1230 by Arnold Gukesvagen, who was a courtier of Premysl Otakar I. Twenty years later his son Frank sold the castle and the neighbourhood to Bruno Sauemburg, a bishop from Olomouc. After this the castle had been rented many times: first for 25years by Jan Capek (1438), then by Jan Talafusom(1452). From 1465 king Jiri z Podebrad again gave the castle to the Olomouc diocese. From this time Hukvaldy became the centre of church ownership. The long development of the castle was primarily connected with its defensive function. During the 16th century, ramparts called Kulatina were erected, which connected the castle’s core and its long shafting, and in 1581, a 150m deep ditch was dug. After 1637 bastions were built and thus the fortress building was completed. Hukvaldy was protected by 6 gates and ditches with a drawbridge. Due to all these fortifying constructs, the castle was never conquered. In 1742 and 1753, during the Prussian-Austrian battles for Silesia, Olomouc bishops hid here. But in the 17 century, the castle was deserted.