Ralsko Castle

History of Ralsko Castle

Unfortunately, it is not entirely clear from the written sources who founded the Ralsko Castle and when. Thanks to archaeological finds, the origin of the castle dates back to the 13th century and due to the political situation in the country and this area in the 13th century, it is quite probable that the Markvartice family was involved in the establishment of Ralsko.

It is therefore quite possible that Ralsko was part of a system of castles whose task was to control the Vartember estate and guard the path leading from Zittau to Bohemia. After the disintegration of the Vartember estate in the middle of the 15th century and the new owners began to move to castles that provided them with greater comfort, Ralsko Castle lost its significance, was abandoned and continues to be used only by robber knights as a refuge.

Since 1505, it has been listed in the sources as desolate, and later treasure hunters also played a significant role in its destruction.

The castle at present

Ralsko Castle also served the nobles as a military stronghold and originally had two residential towers, which are currently the oldest part of the castle that has survived. Courts and other buildings were added to the towers. One of the most interesting parts of Ralsko Castle is the massive gable wall, built sometime in the 15th century. It is 5.6 meters thick and its meaning is still not entirely clear. The castle stood on a lonely hill, where the danger of shelling was almost imminent. The castle was very difficult to access due to its location in the Ralsko military area.

Where to go on a trip in the area?

Not far from the Ralsko castle there is, for example, the natural monument Čertova stěna, the ruins of the Stohánek castle or Havraní skála. An interesting technical monument is the Ploučnice gorge.

Author: Andrea Štyndlová