The large chateau was used in the second half of the 19th century as a summer residence of Ferdinand I, former Austrian Emperor. During the tour, you can visit the emperor\'s bedroom, the dining room and the chapel where the wedding ceremony of Franz Ferdinand d\'Este and Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, took place in 1900.
The castle was built at the locality of a previous small Gothic fort by Zdislav Berka in the mid 16th century. It changed hands several times, and in the 1670s it was renovated in the Baroque style. The ground floor offers an interesting chapel dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi. On the 2nd floor you can visit renovated Baroque rooms designed for retired Austrian Emperor Ferdinand. The entire interiors are furnished with luxurious items and the rooms are decorated with ceiling paintings by Josef Navrátil. There is a rarity, a well-preserved personal lift installed in 1870.
The moat is home to bears. There are adjacent French gardens with geometrically shaped bushes and a natural landscaped park.
http://cesky-raj.info/

Zákupy Chateau

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The castle named Svojkov was obviously founded at the beginning of the 14th century.
The castle was built on the 20-metre-high conical hill in the valley under the rock massif of Svojkov. During the construction work, the rock base was used and some parts of the castle were carved directly in the rock. The sandstone needed for the development of the castle was brought from the nearby surroundings. Because of the height of the rock it was possible to build a three-storey construction, with staircases built from outside.
From 1381 the castle was in the possession of the noble family from Chlum. The best-known member of the family was Jan from Chlum, nicknamed Kepka, who - along with Václav from Dubá - accompanied John Huss to the council in Konstanz. He supported Huss' and his teaching and was his loyal friend. During the 16th century the castle dilapidated and in 1590 the wooden part of the castle was pulled down and burnt. In 1650 new owners began to build a small Baroque chateau at the foot of the hill. In the 2nd half of the 19th century the ruin was fixed and completed with new romantic elements.
http://liberecky-kraj.cz/

Svojkov Castle

The castle was first mentioned in records dating from 1324. It was established beside a salt trade route from Mišeň to Česká Lípa by the Ronovec family. The edges of the outcrop, which was a level summit, were carved to resemble castle walls with loopholes, and some of the gullies in the outcrop were filled in with masonry. Thanks to an ingenious system of trenches it was possible to flood the area around the rocks. The combination of natural conditions and human ingenuity turned the castle into a fortress unassailable by medieval warriors.
During the Thirty Years' War, Knight Mikeš Pančiř of Smojna was based here and launched a raid on Lužice, and as a consequence the castle was besieged in 1445–45. When the starving troops capitulated after three months of isolation it was burned down by the end of 1427. The castle was repaired, but it gradually ceased to meet the desired standards of comfort, and during the 16th century it was deserted and became dilapidated.
In 1639 the Swedes burned it down, and the castle became a ruin. From 1670 to 1785 hermits were based here, making use of the rock for their needs. Among other things, they carved out new rooms and created recesses for the Stations of the Cross, built a chapel in the rock and formed a new entrance. Historical documents talk about several men: Konstantin was a bricklayer; Vaclav painted a solar clock on the wall; and an optician and gardener called Samuel grew corn on the plains around the castle, as well as wine on its southern terraces.
After the hermitage ceased to exist the state owners, the Kinský dynasty, turned the complex into a romantic tourist attraction. Little has been preserved of the original structure on the elevated plateau, although the spaces sunk into the rock can be clearly seen today like the dungeon, well, hermitage, passage and the terraced walkways. In the former prison, dungeon carvings have been preserved, which were dug out of the walls by former prisoners. Sloup has now become a romantic place for outings and occasionally candlelit concerts and historical jousting matches are held.

Sloup Castle

The original water castle named Lipý comes from the 13th century.
The best-known owner of the castle was Jindřich of Lipá. Until the mid 17th century, the castle was the residence of the Berka family of Dubá, who had it rebuilt in the 17th century into a Renaissance chateau with a two-storey palace. In the course of time, the chateau was abandoned and it was pulled down in 1957. The relics of the original structures comprise a ruin with preserved cellars, parts of the bullwark, and a fragment of the second gate.
http://liberecky-kraj.cz/

Lipý Castle

The deserted castle was used by thieving knights and later destroyed by treasure hunters. At present, its ruins form the characteristic silhouette of the lonely hill. The castle was not open to the public for a long time as it was located in a military area. At present, you can set out for a challenging trip; the climbing itself is worthwhile. Besides the relics of the castle, the top offers a superb view of the České Středohoří, the Lužické Hory and Jizerské Hory, Ještěd, dominant features of Český ráj and the Mácha region with Bezděz Hill.
Ralsko Castle is connected with several legends. One of them mentions a hidden treasure guarded by a giant dog that rambles through the dense forests. Another legend insists that inside the hill, similarly to Blaník Hill, sleeping soldiers are waiting, to save the country when it gets into really serious problems.
http://cesky-raj.info/

Ralsko Castle

The Renaissance chateau was built after 1574 by Henry of Vartemberk. Later modifications were not of a significant nature. The chateau served as a residence of the Grand Priories of the Order of Malta. It was adapted in 1930-31 for the owner, Josef Vraný, which unfortunately was not done in a very sensitive way.
In 2010 the chateau was bought by the current owner, Mr. Ondřej Kilián, who made it accessible to the public. Tours of the chateau are given as part of the few cultural events that take place here during the year.
http://liberecky-kraj.cz/

Horní Libchava Chateau

The history of the chateau in Zahrádky begins around 1556 when Kryštof Plot from Koňařiny is mentioned as the district commissioner at Nový Vítkovec (the previous name of the castle). It was built by Jan of Vartenberk, who had the interiors renovated as well. Since then, there were various possessors within the family of Vartenberk, of which Jan Jiří of Vartenberk was the last. As he had been an active participant in the rebellion against the Hapsburg power (1619-1620), his possessions were confiscated.
The castle was bought in 1623 by Albrecht of Valdštejn. At that time, the furnishings were really valuable, there was an excellent library and a gallery, and an outstanding park with abundant valuable tree species. When Albrecht of Valdštejn was murdered (1634), the chateau was in the possession of his wife Isabella and later his only daughter Marie Alžběta, who married Rudolf Kounic, the chief gamekeeper. The Kounic family kept the property of Nový Zámek until 1897, when the family line died out. The chateau then went into the hands of Jan Lichtenstein and Emmanuel Liechtenstein.
After 1945, the chateau was kept by the government authorities. In the 19th century, the rock canyon of the Robečský Brook (so-called Peklo) became a part of the chateau premises; at present, it is a natural monument with abundant presence of St. Agnes's flowers. The Valdštejn linden alley was added as well (trees aged 300 years): the alley leads through one of the oldest pheasantries in Bohemia, now breeding Angora goats and mouflons.
Unfortunately, the chateau was burnt during a three-day-long fire at the turn of January/February 2003 and was seriously damaged.
http://jicin.org/

Zahrádky Castle

Renaissance chateau established by the Berka of Dubé in 1565. In 1759 radical changes were made and the chateau became a late Baroque edifice with a modified English park. After 1870 the situation was reversed – interest in the chateau was pretty much lost and it became a granary. In 1901, it was restored in the neo-Baroque style and after the war it became a children’s home.
http://waymarking.com/

Nový Falkenburg Chateau

16th century Baroque chateau with original Renaissance foundation. The Valdštejn clan owned it for almost three centuries – until 1945. A three-storey tower dominates the three-wing structure. The chateau’s neighbouring architectural buildings date back to the 18th century and the chateau park enriches the entire area.
https://czecot.com/

Doksy Chateau

The castle was founded in the 1st half of the 14th century by the family of Berka from Dubá in order to provide protection for the merchant route to Žitava. It was built on sandstone blocks and has never been conquered.
For the whole time of its existence the castle was in the possession of the Berka family, who left it by the end of the 16th century. The cause of its destruction was the mine where millstone used to be exploited (in the 18th century). The fort is over 100 metres long but it was strongly affected by the mining activities. At present, the only preserved part is the wall with a gate. The nearby rock gate is not natural but man-made.
http://liberecky-kraj.cz/

Milštejn Castle

The rock castle named Stohánek was built on a steep sandstone mound near the village of Svébořice, not far from Hamr na Jezeře.
It was first mentioned in historic sources in 1431 but its history was not very long: the last mention comes from the year 1453 and shortly afterwards the castle probably ceased to exist. In 1760 a hermitage was established on the remnants.
http://liberecky-kraj.cz/