Frýdštejn was constructed during 14th century (exact date is not known). It is mentioned for the first time in a church source from 1385. Being owned by a Catholic it was besieged by Hussites in August 1432 but its lord had agreed to cease hostilities and later joined the Hussites. The castle had changed owners several times. After a sale in 1556 it lost its function as a watchtower and at the end of 16th century it was no longer inhabited. During the Thirty Years' War marauders, deserters, and fugitives of every kind found shelter here.
The whereabouts of the original entrance into the castle is not known. It is believed to be on the right of the tower through the ground floor of the palace itself, a castle lord's residence. Today's entrance was built in modern times.
The public has been allowed to visit the ruins since the 1890s, when the Turnov Adornment Club bought it from the Prince of Rohan, who lived in Sychrov Castle. The club had the conserved masonry reinforced. Archaeological findings from this period are available in the Turnov Museum. Today the castle is owned by the village Frýdštejn, which preserves its current state.

Frýdštejn Castle

Account

by category

Login

Name

by region

Title

Name in English

Zbirohy Castle used to rise high above the Jizera River near the village of Rakousy, at the point where the river had formed a large turn. Zbirohy is one of the few noble constructions of this type built under the rule of King Wenceslas IV. In his time, the trend in Czech castle architecture was comfort, which is reflected in the look of Zbirohy Castle.
The remnants of the walls and cellars show that the castle was not very large and that it was always dominated by the nearby Hrubý Rohozec. What is still preserved is the relics of the walls (up to 10 m high) and the cellars (in part carved in the rocks). At the entrance you will come across the ruin of a bastion and there is a water reservoir near the former palace.
http://cesky-raj.info/

Zbirohy Castle

Hrubý Rohozec (German: Groß Rohosetz) is a castle in Turnov, Czech Republic. The original structure was connected to a polygonal tower by a defensive wall. Its purpose, in the 14th century, was to monitor the trade route running below it. Between the two parts of the castle Jan von Šelmberk, and later Konrad Kraiger Kraigk, built Gothic palaces. During the Renaissance the Wartenberg family rebuilt the complex in the style of a chateaux.
Albrecht von Wallenstein bought it in 1621 followed by the noble family Desfours, who held it until 1945. After 1822 the castle was upgraded on the basis of plans by the architect Jan F. Joendl. The castle's library, dining room, bedroom and a blue room are open to the public and display their original furnishings.

Hrubý Rohozec Chateau

Since the 15th century, a fort existed in the place now occupied by Sychrov. During the years between 1690 and 1693, a small baroque castle was constructed here.
In 1820 the castle was bought by the Rohan family, French aristocrats exiled by the French Revolution who decided to stay in the Austrian Empire. The 125-year-long ownership by the Rohans proved to be the most important in the castle's history.
In 1945 the castle was nationalised because of the Beneš decrees. Since 1950, it has been open to the public to a small extent. Since the 1970s, however, large parts of the castle were open to the public. Since the beginning of the 1990s, an extensive reconstruction and restoration of the castle exteriors, interiors, and the park have been underway, the object of which is to make Sychrov look as close to its original form at the time of its biggest boom, i.e., its condition in the second half of the 19th century, as possible. In 1995 it came under the protection of the state as national cultural heritage.

Sychrov Castle

The castle was built shortly before 1250 by members of the Markwartic family. The first owner cited was Jaroslav of Hrutwice, today Hruštice, who built the castle for his son Vok of Rotštejn. For his second son, Zdeněk, he built Valdštejn Castle and became the founder of the Waldstein family.
In 1360 the castle was in the possession of Ješek of Rotštejn, who obtained permission from Charles IV to hold a weekly market in the nearby village of Klokočí. In the year 1415, the Rotštejn family died out and the whole estate fell to Andrew and Vanek Paldrovi Varina, who owned the entire estate throughout the Hussite Wars. The castle was probably burned by the Hussites, unlike other neighboring castles, such as Návarov Castle. According to other sources, the castle was conquered in 1426, but its landlord lived on a farm in the nearby village of Klokočí. Hussite presence at the castle is not confirmed by archaeological findings and written sources. In a later written mention of the castle in 1540, it is reported as abandoned, with the rocks and walls demolished in the courtyard.
To further contributed to the destruction of the castle was the natural erosion of the sandstone rocks. In a report of 1514 the castle was considered abandoned with walls and rocks warped in the courtyard. During the Thirty Years' War in the beginning of the 17th century, this place was used to shelter people from the soldiers. Residents were hiding in cavities carved into the sandstone rocks that were mistakenly considered part of the castle stables.

Rotštejn Castle

Valdštejn Castle (German: Waldstein) is an early Gothic fortress near Turnov, in the Czech Republic. It can be found in the cliff dwelling city of Hruboskalsko, in the Bohemian Paradise (Český ráj).
The city was built on three sandstone cliffs in the second half of the thirteenth century by Counts of the Waldstein family. After 1420 the castle was occupied by the Hussites, then later by the robber barons. In 1621 the abandoned castle was bought back by the Waldsteins, whose most illustrious member was Albrecht von Wallenstein. During the peak of the Baroque period, they built a pilgrimage church, dedicated to John of Nepomuk, in 1722 on the ruins of the castle.

Valdštejn Castle

The castle was founded in the second half of the 14th century; however, there are no reliable sources to identify the founder. Under the rule of King Jiří of Poděbrady, for a short time the castle was in his possession. In 1469 it was - at that time owned by the family of Zajíc of Házmburk - besieged and conquered by royal troops. Another occupation, this time by Swedish soldiers, came during the Thirty Years War. The fact that the victorious Swedish operating from the occupied Návarov were causing a lot of damage in the surrounding areas made the Emperor Ferdinand III send his troops, conquer the castle and destroy it - which was in 1644.
Although the history of Návarov as a fortified residence was brought to its end, the proprietary rights were often transferred. The domain was successively owned by members of important noble families of Smiřický, Valdštejn and Lamotte.
The dilapidated building became the source of material for construction of a new construction in the Baroque style. The basic core of the castle consists of two - still visible - complex structures that are divided by two ditches in the front part of the castle premises, fortified with a face wall with with two semi-circular bastions.
The valley of the Kamenice River and the ruin of the Návarov are made accessible from the red trail (Palackého Stezka) marked from Podspálov to Tanvald.
http://cesky-raj.info/

Návarov Castle

In 1345 Cistercian monks from the monastery Hradiště based a farmyard where beer was produced in 16th century. The year 1564 is linked with the first mention of brewing beer in the brewery in Svijany. Brewing and pubs establishment increased financial income of a manor. In 1567 there was a division of property between Vartenberk sons and the place was named Svijany for the first time. In the same year building of Castle Svijany started and was finished after 11 years in 1578. 
After the death of the estate owner Jaroslav Vartenberk Jáchym Ondřej Šlik gained Svijany Castle and brewery. He let decorated the knights' hall in the west wing with the magnificent Renaissance paintings in the 20s of 17th century. They were then covered by a simple coating and were completely forgotten.
They were rediscovered during the reconstruction. The genuine paintings including painted coats of arms are now restored. In the eastern field was discovered a sign of a mother of Jáchym Ondřej Šlik Anne from Suneck. Towards the west follow signs of his wives, Anne of Kolowrat, Anne of Smiřice and Ursula from Oppersdorf. Jáchym Ondřej Šlik was the first of the 27 lords executed in 1621 on the Old Town Square and his remains were buried after a year.
After his death, in 1623 Albrecht of Valdštejn acquired the manor. Valdštejns were prolific businessmen and even the brewery prospered. The castle was rebuilt and structurally modified and the brewery was extended also. In 1820 the Svijany manor was bought by a Prince Karel Alain from Rohan family. During their reign the Castle became part of Sychrov manor and served as an administrative building and as accommodation of officials. 
https://zameksvijany.cz/

Svijany Chateau

The Renaissance chateau was built on sandstone at the point where a medieval castle built in the 14th century used to be. In 1804, a park in the English style was added; in 1859 the chateau was regothicized.
The western yard in front of the chateau is closed with a neo-Gothic church dedicated to St. Joseph. The chateau was built on two sandstone blocks that rise up to nearly 60 m above the valley of the Libuňka River. At present, the chateau is used as a hotel. Tourists can access the courtyard and the tower from which they can enjoy a wonderful view of the Hruboskalsko, Trosky and Kozákov.
http://cesky-raj.info/

Hrubá Skála Castle

The castle was established by Čeněk of Vartenberk in the second half of the 14th century. Two towers were constructed, one on top of each rock, and various residential buildings and outhouses erected between them. Three rings of fortified walls protected the complex. After Čeněk's death the castle came into the possession of King Wenceslas IV, from whom it was acquired by Ota of Bergov, of the Bergov dynasty. Though Ota the Younger of Trosk was a zealous Catholic, it did not stop him raiding the monastery in Opatovice and stealing its famous treasure, which he is said to have hidden in Trosky Castle, supposedly in an underground cellar blocked by a huge boulder. No one could move the boulder, which was eventually covered by scree, permanently cutting off the way to the precious objects.
During the Hussite wars Trosky was a center of the pro-Catholic sides. It is therefore not surprising that in all probability the castle was never completely conquered by the Hussites or any other enemies. As late as 1428, shortly after the castle burned down, it was under siege by Jan Kralovec, captain of the Táborite Army. From 1438 onwards the robber knight Kryštov Šov of Helfenburg and his companion Švejkar settled in it to tyrannize the villagers in the surrounding countryside, before the people of Zhořelec and Žitavy (English Görlitz and Zittau, members of the Lusatian League) banded together to capture them. Margareth of Bergov, the widow of the original owner Ota of Bergov, made Trosky into her residence by 1444. In 1468 the castle was property of William of Hasenburg who kept it until 1497. After that several noble families owned the castle, although its significance declined. In 1648, during the Thirty Years' War, it was burned down completely by the Imperial Army and left in ruins. In 1681 the enlightened Jesuit Bohuslav Balbín visited it; possibly the first documented example of a trip, the sole purpose of which was to research a historical sight or area.
In the 19th century a greater degree of interest was shown and romantic modifications were made to the ruins of the castle. It was decided to create a staircase leading to the Panna tower. Work was begun in 1841–43, but was not completed.

Trosky Castle

Drábské světničky is a ruin of a 13th-century rock castle in the Czech Republic. It is located about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) northeast of Mnichovo Hradiště on the ragged edge of a sandstone cliff high above surrounding landscape. The castle covers a group of seven sandstone rocks, connected with wooden bridges. It has been abandoned since the Hussite wars in the 15th century.