Kokořín Castle, Medieval castle in Kokořínský Důl, Czech Republic.
Kokořín Castle is a medieval fortress built on sandstone rocks above a deep valley in central Bohemia. The structure features Gothic architecture with high walls, pointed towers, and fortified gates surrounded by dense forest.
Kokořín was built after 1320, probably by Prague burgrave Hynek Berka of Dubá. Hussite troops captured and damaged it in 1426, and from 1544 it was recorded as deserted; Emperor Ferdinand II later placed it among castles that were not to be maintained. In 1894 the ruins were bought by Prague businessman Václav Špaček, whose son Jan had them rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in 1911–1916 under architect Eduard Sochor.
The castle gave its name to the Kokořínsko – Máchův kraj Protected Landscape Area. Inside, visitors can see a memorial to the poet K. H. Mácha and an exhibition of 19th-century Czech romantic art. The castle also appeared in the 1959 film The Princess with the Golden Star.
Kokořín stands about ten kilometres northeast of Mělník above the Pšovka River, near the village of Kokořín. No railway runs nearby; the Mšeno–Mělník bus line serves the area, and marked hiking trails lead up to the castle. A short Kokořínský tunnel passes on the road beneath it.
The 38-metre cylindrical lookout tower is the castle's tallest element, and the palace gained an extra floor during the 1911–1916 neo-Gothic rebuild. Inside are paintings by Julius Fischer and a memorial to poet K. H. Mácha, whose name also labels the surrounding protected landscape area.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,697 contributors worldwide.