Castle Litice
Travel to the foothills of the Eagle Mountains! Except for the place where the Litice castle from the end of the 13th century rises on a hill above the river Orlicí. The Drslavice family took care of the castle, it was first mentioned in writing in 1304, when it was exchanged for another estate. In 1371, the lords of Kunštát became the owners, and the Czech King George of Poděbrady had the fortifications extended during the years 1450 - 1468. It was from this reconstruction that the building has been preserved to the present day. Whoever wanted to go to the castle had to go through four gates. The castle has experienced several changes of owners. It was bought by Vilém of Pernštejn in 1495, Mikuláš of Bubno in 1562 and later by Oskar Parish. However, even Vilém of Pernštejn and Mikuláš of Bubno did not live here permanently, they had other estates that seemed more comfortable for their lives.
Information for visitors
Interesting facts Castle Litice
Since 1657, it has been referred to as a half-ruined castle and nothing has changed in the state until the end of the 19th century. At that time, some repairs were provided by the Parish, who owned the castle until 1948. It was mainly the preservation of parts of the ruins, the roof and the modification of the observation deck of the castle tower.
What will a castle tour offer you today? First of all, you will be attracted by the sandstone reliefs decorating the gate. They depict King George of Poděbrady. His reign is also commemorated by some inscriptions on the building. The extensive castle grounds offer examples of archeological finds from the 15th to the 17th century. You will see engravings of castles from the surroundings, old postcards and a torso wall from the back palace.
Litice nad Orlicí lies eight kilometers west of Žamberk. You can get to the castle gates from the village on the way up through the forest. You can walk through the castle alone or with a guide - you can walk to the courtyard behind the fourth gate without paying. In the main tourist season, you will also watch various tournaments, fencing group performances, a theater and period crafts in the courtyard. Don't forget to climb the tower, from where there is a nice view of the surrounding countryside. The tower used to be a chapel in the tower, now only portals and barrel vaults remain.
Author: Petra Nachtmanová