The Pardubice chateau grounds complex is a unique example of the transition between a castle and a chateau residence. Vilém of Pernštejn rebuilt the original water fortress here into a late-Gothic residence sometime around the 15th century and his sons Vojtěch and Jan later added Renaissance features. The chateau interiors, and in particular the Knights' Halls, are home to extensive sections of monumental wall paintings, the oldest Renaissance wall paintings in Bohemia. The original decorated stone portal, vaulting, window and fireplace lining and Renaissance-style painted coffer ceilings are still found here. The mighty chateau bullwarks that are now covered in vegetation are not simply a unique example of a chateau park. Fifty species of protected animals, in particular song birds, live in this oasis of peace and quiet in the very heart of the city. Indeed the chateau bulwarks resonate with the sound of singing nightingales at the end of April.
