Šelmberk, Castle ruin in Běleč, Czech Republic

Šelmberk is a Gothic castle ruin perched on a rock formation above the Blanice river valley, with a well-preserved round tower measuring about 26 meters tall on its western edge. The structure features stone walls that still convey the strength and defensive character of the original fortification.

The castle was first mentioned before 1318, when it belonged to Přibyslav of Křimín, founder of the Šelmberk branch of the Buzic family. A Renaissance reconstruction took place in the first half of the 16th century. In 1586 Michal Španovský of Lisov bought it and attached the estate to Mladá Vožice, after which the castle lost its residential function; a 1602 drawing already shows the core in ruins, and it was abandoned completely during the Thirty Years' War.

The site houses a historical-craft education center where visitors can learn about traditional skills through workshops in metalworking, pottery, and herb cultivation. These hands-on activities show how people in the region once made everyday items and lived from their crafts.

Access is by a turn-off from roads II/125 and II/137; walkers can follow the red marked trail from Mladá Vožice to Kamberk. The ruin is freely accessible at any time, standing on a rocky spur above the Blanice valley.

The tower was raised by one storey with large windows and an oriel during the late Gothic rebuilding, and in the 1820s Leopold of Kuenburg had it fitted with a small battlement and turned into a lookout in Romantic style. The castle ruin, especially the tower, appeared as a backdrop in the film Rapunzel and the Return of the Falcons.