Frýdštejn Castle

In the area of ​​Jablonec, Frýdštejn is one of the three castles and at the same time the northernmost castle ruins. In the second half of the 14th century, it was probably built by the lords of Bibrštejn, and no reports have been preserved from the time of its creation. The end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century meant a frequent change of owners for the castle. During the Hussite wars, the Catholic and Bishop Bohuš of Kováň ruled here, and the Hussites besieged Frýdštejn in 1432, but it was not conquered again thanks to Bohuš, who agreed with the besiegers not to cause further damage. Eventually, he became a Hussite and, together with George of Podebrady, even took part in the siege of Prague.

In 1547, Frýdštejn Castle was seized by the Vartneberks due to their participation in the estate resistance. Immediately afterwards, the castle was assigned to John of Oprštorf by King Ferdinand and since then it has fallen into disrepair, it has not been inhabited by anyone and in 1591 it is already referred to as a desert.

During the Thirty Years' War, refugees and runaways hid in the castle. In 1892, its next owner became the Ornamental Association in Trutnov, and after him, in 1894, the Czech Tourists Club, which contributed to its revitalization.

The dominant feature of Frýdštejn Castle is a massive voice with a height of 15 m and a width of 9 m. It was previously possible to get to two rooms on the upper floors by a wooden staircase. Adjacent to the tower on both sides are fortification walls and a moat and a rampart have been built on the northern side, while a drawbridge is said to have stood somewhere in these places.

Author: Andrea Štyndlová