Seeberg, Castle in Ostroh, Czech Republic

Seeberg stands on elevated ground near Františkovy Lázně and is a castle made of stone with rounded arches and a Renaissance wing with an arcade hallway. The structure also includes an outer area with a Baroque barn and towers.

Seeberg is a Romanesque ministerial castle, probably built in the third quarter of the 12th century. It is first documented on 4 October 1322, when King Louis the Bavarian pledged the Egerland, including the fortress of Seberg, to King John of Bohemia. In 1648 Swedish troops under Königsmarck stormed and burned it; the city of Eger bought it in 1703 for 19,500 guilders.

The exhibitions cover 19th-century interior styles from Empire to Chippendale, plus Czech glass and porcelain from well-known manufacturers. A skansen-type display in the farm buildings shows 18th-century village life in the Cheb region, with traditional clothing, tools and a model of a Cheb-style half-timbered farmstead.

Access is through marked paths on the grounds and the rooms are easily reached on foot. Comfortable shoes are helpful since the ground can be uneven and sturdy footwear is recommended.

The outer courtyard preserves a barn and grain storage tower from earlier times, showing how farming worked around the castle. These outbuildings give insight into how the residents fed themselves.