Blatná Castle is the town's main landmark. It is built on a rock surrounded by a moat, connected with a pond. The castle is narrow, U-shaped, with a tower in front to which the palaces from various periods attach. The castle is being restored with most of the works finished. It is open for the public, together with the castle park and deer park.
Under the Lev of Rožmitál family, the fortress was for the first time rebuilt in stone (the oldest parts being the tower and Rožmitálský Palace) and the surrounding marshes were changed into wide water trenches. A Gothic chapel was soon attached to the tower and palace. Lords of Rožmitál were continuously rebuilding and enlarging the castle, first with the so-called Old Palace, standing separatedly over the remnants of a Romanesque chapel. In 1523–1530, during the rule of Zdeněk Lev of Rožmitál, a new palace in a mixed Gothic-Renaissance style was appended under the guidance of renowned royal builder Benedikt Rejt and now is called Rejt's Palace.
During the rule of the Counts of Rozdražov, the Renaissance Rozdražovský Palace was built and became the last part of the castle. In the 18th century, the Serényi family had one wing of the castle rebuilt in the Baroque style and also erected many Baroque statues in the town and its surroundings. In 1850–1856, the castle received its last rebuilt, which gave it its contemporary neo-Gothic look.
The castle park spreads next to the castle on an area of 42 ha (100 acres). The park was created as an English landscape garden at the beginning of the 19th century by František Hildprandt. Its part close to the castle surrounds a large meadow with very old solitary oak trees. Beyond the meadow are preserved old woods with alleys, swamps, streams with footbridges over them, artificial caves, remnants after placer mining and an Empire style summer house. Its part is also a deer park. A herd of tame fallow deer freely roams the park.
References:Saint-Émilion is a picturesque medieval village renowned for its well-preserved architecture and vineyards. The town and surrounding vineyards was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, owing to its long, living history of wine-making, Romanesque churches and ruins stretching all along steep and narrow streets.
An oppidum was built on the hill overlooking the present-day city in Gaulish times, before the regions was annexed by Augustus in 27 BC. The Romans planted vineyards in what was to become Saint-Émilion as early as the 2nd century. In the 4th century, the Latin poet Ausonius lauded the fruit of the bountiful vine.
Because the region was located on the route of the Camino de Santiago, many monasteries and churches were built during the Middle Ages, and in 1199, while under Plantagenet rule, the town was granted full rights.