Žampach Castle, Gothic castle ruins in Žampach, Czech Republic

Žampach Castle is a ruin on the wooded Žampach hill, about six kilometres southwest of Žamberk. In the former core, barrel-vaulted ground-floor rooms of the residential palace and a vaulted gate relic survive; the bailey shows only faint remains of outbuildings and the perimeter wall.

Žampach Castle was founded in the second half of the 13th century during the colonization of the royal border forest. In 1354 it belonged to Jan ze Smojna, called Pancíř, who used it as a base for raids until Charles IV besieged and conquered it. In 1469 the lords of Potštejn rebuilt it, and during the Thirty Years' War Swedish and imperial troops destroyed it.

The ruins stand as a protected cultural monument, with stone walls and towers showing how medieval builders constructed defensive structures. Visitors can see how the building techniques adapted to the hilltop location.

The site is accessible throughout the year, with maintained pathways guiding visitors to different sections of the ruins. Wearing comfortable shoes is recommended since the ground can be uneven in places.

In the first half of the 16th century a counterfeiting workshop operated at the castle: the smith Jan made false coins there, and in June 1542 two suspects were interrogated and burned. Fragments of technical ceramics and copper sheets found during rescue research in 2013 support the workshop's existence.