Sovinec, Castle in Sovinec, Czech Republic

Sovinec is a fortress built on a cone-shaped hill within the Nízký Jeseník mountains, featuring thick defensive walls and multiple courtyards. Gothic gateways and structures are arranged to overlook the landscape below.

The fortress was built between 1329 and 1332 by the Hrutovic family and changed hands many times over the centuries. It played a strategic role during the Hussite Wars in the region.

The castle's name was translated into German as Eulenburg in the 14th century, and Czech prevailed again from the 15th century. The Sovinec coat of arms is carved above the oldest Gothic gate, and the watchtower bears the family insignia in its stone. A lapidarium and a library of nearly 20,000 volumes were kept here around 1903.

The castle stands on a rocky spur above the village of Sovinec, in the Jiříkov municipality about 14 km south of Rýmařov toward Uničov. The grounds climb over several courtyards and rock steps, so allow time for uneven surfaces and steep sections. The cylindrical bergfrit tower lost its upper part after the 1784 fire.

The cylindrical bergfrit tower had walls nearly 4 m thick and a diameter of 9.1 m; its upper part was lowered after the 1784 lightning fire. Above the oldest Gothic gate, visitors can still spot the coat of arms of the Lords of Sovinec.