News from the Grabštejn Castle

In recent years, Grabštejn Castle has been transformed from a ruin amidst a military zone to a pearl of the Renaissance in northern Bohemia.

The castle’s interiors offer visitors more than 20 rooms in the upper castle, vault and towers. For the 2008 season, the castle’s reception was improved. A new cultural centre has been prepared. The votive painting from the time of Jiří Mehl of Střelice (16th c.) was successfully restored. Visitors can admire this painting in the castle’s entrance hallway.

Grabštejn Castle was erected in the 13th century. Later, it underwent extensive repairs that instilled it with the character of a luxurious chateau estate. The castle was first opened to the public in 1993. Visitors are able to tour not only the gothic castle vault, but also rooms on two of the chateau’s floors arranged with mostly original furniture, paintings and other decorations. The prized jewel of the tour is the Renaissance St. Barbora’s Chapel with a rich fresco decor from the 16th century. The Castle tower offers a view of the distant surroundings.

In the past, Grabštejn controlled the route into Bohemia at the nodal border location where still today meet the borders of three states, the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland. The route below the castle is regarded as a kind of spine of the duchy of Friedland. It was the most efficient connecting road between the Danish King Kristian IV in the north (as well as Swedish King Gustavus Adolfus) and Emperor Ferdinand II in Vienna. At the time of the Friedland principality, these were warring parties. Albrecht von Waldstein captured the militarily significant Grabštejn during the Thirty Years’ War. After his death and in the reigning confusion of the final period of the war, the castle was occupied by a Swedish garrison, which thenceforth ruled the surrounding area up to the peace agreement of 1648. Thus, in the second half of the 17th century, the destruction of the ramparts of Grabštejn was ordered by an imperial mandate, so that in the future it could not become an enemy stronghold.

In addition to the months stated in the opening hours, the building is accessible also on other days for preannounced tours.

Opening hours:
April - October: Tue - Sun 9:00 - 17:00