Dívčí Hrad

Dívčí Hrad
Dívčí Hrad ; Maidelberg; Dziewczęcy Gród
	Municipality and village
	Castle
	Flag Coat of arms
	Dívčí Hrad Location in the Czech Republic
	Coordinates: 50°14′38″N 17°38′03″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Moravian-Silesian Region
District	Bruntál District
Government
• Mayor	Jan Bezděk
Area
• Total	4.63 sq mi (11.98 km2)
Elevation	1,007 ft (307 m)
Population (2011)
• Total	275
• Density	59/sq mi (23/km2)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)

Dívčí Hrad (German: Maidelberg) is a village and municipality in Bruntál District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic.

Dívčí Hrad (Girls Castle) village lies on the on Osoblaha river in the northern part of Osoblažsko region, just a few hundred metres to the north from the narrow gauge railway. The first written reference of the village dates back to 1267, when in the Brunos of Schaumburg will it is stated as Deuviz Castle. Nowadays there are 291 inhabitants living there.

A dominating feature of the village, visible from a far distance, is Dívčí Hrad Chateau built over the river Osoblaha in the 13th century. The greatest boom the chateau has ever experienced was at the end of the 16th century and at the beginning of the 17th century under the rule of Sedlnický from Choltice. In this time the chateau received its renaissance style which has been preserved until these days. In 1622 the chateau was removed from the Sedlnický property due to their participation in the Uprising of the Czechs Estates and the chateau became the property of the Teutonic Order, then the Johanniter Order (later the Order of Malta) who administered the chateau to the end of World War II, when it was severely damaged. During the 1960s the chateau was reconstructed into today's style, and it has been used as a medical supplies warehouse since then. Besides its main chateau building with four cylindrical towers with battlements, remains of mounds, the gate, the stone bridge and the baroque granary remained preserved. Close to the chateau you may also find a park and a chateau garden.

At the crossroads to Hlinka and Osoblaha behind Dívčí Hrad there is the Dubovec Hill (336 m) which is an interesting place for two reasons. First of all, there are trenches from World War II still preserved in the bushes and the second it is the amazing view to the country as the Jindřichov upland meets the Osoblaha lowland there. Oblík Natural Reserve is also an interesting place to be seen. You may find it as you walk along the green marked path towards Pitárne and shortly after leaving Dívčí Hrad you turn right to a country lane. There after 400 metres you come across a small hill which is Oblík. This small hill refers to the time when Osoblažsko region was covered by the Mesozoic sea and also up to 250 metres wide glacier in the Quaternary period. The natural formation is made of coal – limestone which is very rich for Mesozoic marine animals fossils to be found here such as crinoids, corals, brachiopods and cephalopods from the Cretaceous period where there was a sea covering the region. By the continental glacier pressure the rock came up creating this very interesting geological site.

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