Trosky Castle is located on the summits of two basalt volcanic plugs. On the lower peak, 47 metres, is the two-storey structure called Baba (Crone), and on the higher outcrop, 57 metres, is the four-sided structure known as Panna (Maiden). The castle is a landmark of the Bohemian Paradise region.

The castle was established by Čeněk of Wartenberg in the second half of the 14th century. Two towers were constructed, one on top of each rock, and various residential buildings and outhouses were erected between them. Three rings of fortified walls protected the complex. After Čeněk's death the castle came into the possession of King Wenceslaus IV, from whom it was acquired by Otto III of Bergau. Though Otto IV of Bergau 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 centre 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 Královec, captain of the Taborites 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 Görlitz and Zittau, members of the Lusatian League, banded together to capture them. Margareth of Bergau, the widow of the original owner Otto of Bergau, 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 site 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 has begun in 1841–43, but was not completed.

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Address

Troskovice, Czech Republic
See all sites in Troskovice

Details

Founded: 14th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Czech Republic

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Lore Clauw (14 months ago)
Nice ruins of an old castle on top of a hill. About 10 minutes walk from the parking lot, you could enter without going on a tour. It takes about 45 minutes to see everything. With nice wide views from the battlements. I recommend going there if you're in the neighbourhood but don't go out of your way to visit.
Siewling Lay (15 months ago)
The entrance fee was not cheap so I was expecting more information and better infrastructure. Also you have to pay for parking. The castle was honestly more impressive from far and there were way too many people on a weekend. Maybe a weekday visit will be better.
R.A. (15 months ago)
Great views from up the tower. Quite a cool ruined Castle with a very cheap entry fee of only 140 or 120 crowns, cards are accepted which is nice since we had no cash on us.
Karolína Hrabovská (17 months ago)
Beautiful walk to place connected to history and lots of Czech legends. Make sure you have change for parking as you can only pay by cash. Spring 2022 was just 80CZK but still they don't accept cards. Family friendly walk I'd recommend to everyone
Dinh Tuan (2 years ago)
Located some 10 km south of Semily - Liberec Region and being one of the most visited sights of the Czech Republic, Trosky is a ruins of a Gothic castle founded in the late 14th century and it became the main symbols of the whole Bohemian Paradise area (Český ráj) for its unique appearance and origin. The siting of the castle on two steep basalt volcanic made Trosky unconquerable as many enemies failed to capture it. However, no fortress can resist the hands of time, so even Trosky, abandoned in the late 15th century, began to gradually fall into ruin. The castle was founded in the late middle ages, approximately between 1380 and 1390, when the owner of the domain, Čeněk (Lord) of Wartenberg, used the natural defensive features of the basalt rocks. He founded the inner castle with residential palaces on the ridge between both summits, and used the summits for defensive towers also with residential facilities. The lower summit is 47 m high, called “The Crone” due to its stout appearance, bore the hexagonal two-storey building, accessible from the northern side of the palace. On the higher and slender summit, “The Maiden”, a rectangular palace was built, originally with three floors, allegedly containing the castle chapel. The height of the Maiden above the first courtyard is approximately 57 m made it possible to build a defense system that made the inner castle inaccessible, and provided unlimited all-round view of the castle, its slopes, and wide area around it. The defensive system consisted of three circles of ramparts, 1.5 to 2 m wide and up to 15 m high. All the courtyards are reinforced by sandstone blocks. The palaces were only inhabited on the upper floors, and the lower floors provided enough storage space for supplies necessary under siege. Water was drawn from the castle’s own well (30 m deep) on the first courtyard, and from an elaborate system of rainwater tanks was built in the rock at the Maiden. Thanks to its romantic atmosphere and unique silhouette it became a popular tourist destination in the 19th century and soon received the most necessary repairs. Currently, the castle is managed by the National Heritage Institute based in Pardubice. * Some photos courtesy of Internet. Thanks!
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