Kokorin Castle, Mělník, Czech Republic

Kokořín Castle was built around 1320 by order of Hynek Berka of Dubé. At the close of the 15th century the castle was heavily damaged during the Hussite Wars and renovated in the late Gothic style by the lords of Klinštejn. Since the middle of the 17th century Kokořín had been tenantless and it deteriorated.

The ruins were not bought until 1894 by Václav Špaček of Starburk, who decided to renovate the castle. The architect, Eduard Sochor, was a leader in this project and, considering its occurrence between 1911 and 1918, it was one of the latest Romantic restorations of a Medieval object.

References:

zamky-hrady.cz

User Reviews

Ivan Hronek (12 months ago)
Very awesome well refurbished castle in a fantastic nature setting, it doesn't get any better !

Stefan Koskinen (14 months ago)
its beautiful.. but castles is not maybe my cup of tea.. hence the 4 stars.. anyway if u are in the neighbourhood then visit.. not much else to see.. if u are not in to hiking of course

Barbora McBurney (16 months ago)
An stunning castle with fantastic views and a wonderful location in the middle of the woods. Loved the viewing tower!

Plamena Argent (21 months ago)
We went on a snowy day and it was an absolute delight, the castle itself was closed, but the area is easily accessible for a hike by car and walk from the Kokorin village centre, the views are a lovely getaway from the city

Justin Credible (2 years ago)
Had an amazing time in Prague and decided to explore some places outside of the city. Was lucky to have family that knew where to go and wasn’t disappointed. Entry was cheap and parking next to nothing. The walk from the car park was long and up a steep road and up a ton of stairs but with it in the end.

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Broch of Gurness

The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.

The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick. The tower was likely inhabited by the principal family or clan of the area but also served as a last resort for the village in case of an attack.

The broch continued to be inhabited while it began to collapse and the original structures were altered. The cistern was filled in and the interior was repartitioned. The ruin visible today reflects this secondary phase of the broch's use.

The site is surrounded by three ditches cut out of the rock with stone ramparts, encircling an area of around 45 metres diameter. The remains of numerous small stone dwellings with small yards and sheds can be found between the inner ditch and the tower. These were built after the tower, but were a part of the settlement's initial conception. A 'main street' connects the outer entrance to the broch. The settlement is the best-preserved of all broch villages.

Pieces of a Roman amphora dating to before 60 AD were found here, lending weight to the record that a 'King of Orkney' submitted to Emperor Claudius at Colchester in 43 AD.

At some point after 100 AD the broch was abandoned and the ditches filled in. It is thought that settlement at the broch continued into the 5th century AD, the period known as Pictish times. By that time the broch was not used anymore and some of its stones were reused to build smaller dwellings on top of the earlier buildings. Until about the 8th century, the site was just a single farmstead.

In the 9th century, a Norse woman was buried at the site in a stone-lined grave with two bronze brooches and a sickle and knife made from iron. Other finds suggest that Norse men were buried here too.

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