Kynžvart was once significant castle, located at one of the highest elevations on the territory of the Czech Republic (827 m), used to stand near the famous Kynžvart Chateau of Austrian Chancellor Metternich. Its original name was Königswart (Royal Guard) as it was built as a border stronghold of the kingdom in the 13th century. The castle frequently changed its owners and it even served as a hideaway for thieves in the 14th century. The last owners were the Metternichs who did not repair the castle after it had been plundered by the Swedish army. Instead they used the ruins as building material for the construction of Kynžvart Chateau.
Today, remnants of the castle walls, the castle moat and the foundations of outbuildings are visible. You may enjoy a pleasant outing by walking to the castle ruins up the marked tourist path from Lázně Kynžvart.
References:Goryōkaku (五稜郭) (literally, 'five-point fort') is a star fort in the Japanese city of Hakodate on the island of Hokkaido. The fortress was completed in 1866. It was the main fortress of the short-lived Republic of Ezo.
Goryōkaku was designed in 1855 by Takeda Ayasaburō and Jules Brunet. Their plans was based on the work of the French architect Vauban. The fortress was completed in 1866, two years before the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate. It is shaped like a five-pointed star. This allowed for greater numbers of gun emplacements on its walls than a traditional Japanese fortress, and reduced the number of blind spots where a cannon could not fire.
The fort was built by the Tokugawa shogunate to protect the Tsugaru Strait against a possible invasion by the Meiji government.
Goryōkaku is famous as the site of the last battle of the Boshin War.