Valdštejn Castle, Rock castle in Kadeřavec, Czech Republic
Valdštejn Castle is built on three sandstone cliffs in the Bohemian Paradise region, using Gothic architecture with stone bridges connecting the rocky outcrops. The structure integrates multiple levels linked by narrow passages and open spaces carved into the natural stone.
The Markvartice family founded this fortress in 1260 as the first castle in the Bohemian Paradise region. The location on three cliffs provided strategic advantages for defense and control of the area through the centuries.
The castle's German name, Waldstein, translates as "Forest Stone", after the sandstone crags it stands on. Since 1945 the ruin has belonged to the town of Turnov, and a hermit, the composer Václav Holan Rovenský, settled here in 1694, drawing pilgrims to the site.
The castle is open daily from April through October with guided tours available in multiple languages. The paths between the rocky sections can be steep and narrow, so sturdy footwear is recommended.
The chapel of St. John the Baptist, built in 1817, holds a painting of a saint made in 1836 by František Mašek; it may be the only surviving portrait of the poet Karel Hynek Mácha. The composer Josef Bohuslav Foerster wrote his oratorio St. Wenceslas and his Fifth Symphony while staying at the castle.
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