Valdštejn Castle, Turnov, Czech Republic

Valdštejn Castle (Waldstein) is an early Gothic fortress near Turnov, in the Czech Republic. 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 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.

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User Reviews

Alessandro (3 years ago)
Nice castle to visit, great place surrounded by hooden hill for hicking or biking. Do not take too much, about 1h then enjoy the nature. Great and pleaseant staff ready to help. Recommended.

Erick Nemec (3 years ago)
One of my favorite castles in the area.

Peter Knight (3 years ago)
The new exhibition of the costumes for famous Czech fairytales is great. The young girl that was hosting the tour was fantastic, happy informative and entertaining for the small kids we were with. Definitely worth a visit

ARIFUL IMAM (7 years ago)
Small but well-preserved castle in the heart of "Bohemian paradise", small but interesting exhibition, little too pricey for seeing 3 rooms. But the guide was great. ... great walks and hikes among bolders, only downsize are people trashing this beautiful place.

Michael Romero (7 years ago)
This is a nice castle complex with some great views and beautiful surroundings. We didn’t want to take the tour and because of that the interior rooms were not open to us. Not with going unless you are on the tour. The views were really spectacular and some of the old buildings were impressive.

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Wieskirche

The Pilgrimage Church of Wies (Wieskirche) is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by Dominikus Zimmermann. It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the municipality of Steingaden.

The sanctuary of Wies is a pilgrimage church extraordinarily well-preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, and is a perfect masterpiece of Rococo art and creative genius, as well as an exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared.

The hamlet of Wies, in 1738, is said to have been the setting of a miracle in which tears were seen on a simple wooden figure of Christ mounted on a column that was no longer venerated by the Premonstratensian monks of the Abbey. A wooden chapel constructed in the fields housed the miraculous statue for some time. However, pilgrims from Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and even Italy became so numerous that the Abbot of the Premonstratensians of Steingaden decided to construct a splendid sanctuary.

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