K u k s is an unusual name of a village situated in East Bohemia. It has a special place in the history of Czech culture as an outstanding work of European art. In the 17th century, a remarkable nobleman built within two or three decades a complex which is still a sample of Baroque art at its best, attracting both experts and laymen, even though much has changed there over the centuries and many of its monuments have disappeared.
A NEW RESIDENCE IS FOUNDED
It is said that gold was mined here once; the word kuks means „a share in mining“. The Kuks area was a part of the Hradiště estates. In 1664, Jan Špork, a general of the Austrian cavalry, bought the estates. In 1684, Count František Antonín Špork, the general´s elder son, became the owner of all Špork estates. At that time, Kuks was known only for its springs which were believed by local people to have medicinal properties. Špork had its waters tested in 1694 by professors at the Prague Medical Faculty. Their judgement was very favourable and so Špork set a very ambitious objective – to change Kuks into a world-famous spa. The construction started around 1695.