Švamberk (ruins)
Whether you are looking for Švamberk Castle or Krasíkov, you will find that these are only two different names of the same place. The lords of Krasíkov changed the name of the family according to the fashion of that time to Schwanberg, honored by Švamberk, and under this name you can find a Gothic castle or rather its ruins. The castle tower, cellar and part of the palace wall have been preserved from the castle complex itself. The dominant feature is a large chapel in which you could admire the tomb of the Švamberks. However, almost all of it was destroyed by vandals and is now inaccessible.
Information for visitors
Interesting facts Švamberk (ruins)
History, views and nature trails
When visiting the castle, you will learn a little about the history of one of the largest and most beautiful castles in West Bohemia, but mainly you will enjoy the view of the surrounding countryside. Although the hill on which the castle stands is not very high, the castle dominates the surrounding landscape. You can also embark on or out of the castle along some of the nature trails that connect the castle with interesting or important places in the area.
Švamberk Castle was conquered by Jan Žižka
The foundation of the castle dates back to the 13th century. The founder and sole owner was the family of lords from Švamberk, one of the well-known medieval aristocratic families. The castle had a triangular shape interrupted by a brick moat. It was called Krasíkov after the original fortress and village Krasíkov. The castle was rebuilt and damaged, for example during the Hussite wars it was besieged by the troops of Jan Žižka, it burned down several times and after the last great fire in 1644 it was never completely repaired.
A "wrath tree" stood in the courtyard
It is said that a tree with branches, which always grew to the ground, stood in the castle courtyard for many years. You can still tell the story of this tree. In ancient times, robbers rioted around Švamberk. Therefore, the ruler appointed a judge to keep an eye on the order, to judge the guilt of the captured criminals and to hand them over to the executioner. The guards once brought a young man accused of murdering a buyer to the castle. Although he pleaded not guilty and the court had no evidence, the young man was sentenced to execution. On the way to the execution site, he thrust his staff into the ground and said that a tree would grow from a cane, the branches of which would grow to the ground, as proof of the wrong done to it. That's what happened. Although the judges wanted to remove the tree, this was not possible, and the tree grew here for a very long time.
Author: Helena Syslová