Castle ruin of Kynžvart, Castle ruin in Lázně Kynžvart, Czech Republic

Castle ruin of Kynžvart is the stone remains of a medieval fortress located above the spa town, featuring preserved outer walls, a standing tower, and remnants of former palace structures. The site occupies a hilltop position and can be accessed on foot through marked paths in the surrounding forest.

Founded probably shortly after 1242 by Wenceslas I as a royal guard post named Kunigeswart, the castle watched the Nuremberg road between Plzeň and Cheb. Charles IV had it destroyed in July 1347 for sheltering the robber brothers Tuto, Engelhart and Albert of Kynžvart. In 1647, at the end of the Thirty Years' War, Swedish and imperial troops besieged and took it, after which it was demolished.

The ruins tell the story of medieval settlement in this border region, and visitors can read about the legends and regional tales connected to the site. Information boards placed throughout the grounds explain how communities once defended their territories in this part of Bohemia.

The ruin stands on Zámecký vrch at 824 m, about 1 km northeast of Lázně Kynžvart; the climb follows marked forest paths from the spa town. The site is a protected cultural monument, so stay on the paths and leave the fallen masonry in place.

Stone from the ruined walls was later quarried for local houses: residents undermined the masonry so the blocks rolled downhill to the meadow. During the 1770 rebuilding of the New York house in 1770, its owner reused carved elements from the vanished castle, including stone corbels.