Potstejn Castle

Potštejn, Czech Republic

The first written mention of the castle of Potštejn is from the late 13th century. The castle was conquered only once in history, in 1339 by Charles IV before he became king. The village below the castle was first mentioned in 1350. The golden times of the castle were after 1495, when it was bought by Vilém II of Pernštejn, who had rebuilt it.

In the 17th century, economic decline came, the castle fell into disrepair, and the entire Potštejn went bankrupt. In 1746, the estate was bought by the nobleman Jan Ludvík Harbuval Chamaré, who had built here a château. After the House of Chamaré died out in the mid-19th century, Potštejn was acquired by marriage by the Dobřenský of Dobřenice family. They owned it until 1945, when their properties were confiscated.

Address

Pod Lipami 68, Potštejn, Czech Republic

See all sites in Potštejn

Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Czech Republic

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Justina Pluktaite (3 years ago)
Nice place to have a nice walk up to hill to the castle. There was a nice guided tour in Czech language. We needed to hurry as there was a wedding planned after. Beautiful views, interesting story behind all the left parts of the castle. Plan some hike around and go for some brewery.

steve myhill (5 years ago)
Nice castle ruins, you can only access with a guide but it's cheap and interesting, good couple of hours wasted ?

Joe S (5 years ago)
Very cool ruins. Be ready for a hike, its a little steep... but totally worth it.

Ian Wiebkin (7 years ago)
Totally surprising. It looks like a complete ruin from the valley, but a lot of buildings are still intact or renovated. An interesting tour with a good information sheet in English and other languages. There's a small snack bar open if you have to wait for the next tour and the staff were very pleasant. Absolutely worth visiting.

Jeff Pohlman (7 years ago)
Great castle ruins. I've been here 3 times in 14 years so I've seen the progression, they've come a long way on restoring it. Nice tour and history of the castle and area.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historical Gems of Costa Verde

Historic Site of the week

Kakesbeck Castle

Kakesbeck is one of the largest medieval fortifications in Münsterland and the oldest castle in Lüdinghausen. The imposingly grown complex originated in 1120 as a motte, a small hilltop tower castle. After numerous changes of ownership, the castle was extended onto two islands, but it was not until the 14th century that it underwent significant alterations and extensions under the von Oer family. The estate experienced its heyday in the middle of the 18th century, when it covered an area of almost one square kilometre and consisted of five further outer castles in addition to the core castle, which were secured by ramparts and moats.

The well-maintained condition of the castle today is thanks to the late Wilfried Grewing, the former lord of the castle. The foundation named after him has been particularly committed to preserving the property since 2020.