Nový hrad, Gothic castle ruin in Olomučany, Czech Republic

Nový hrad is a medieval castle whose surviving stone walls and structures showcase Gothic architectural details arranged across multiple defensive levels. The ruins reveal a complex fortification system with rooms and passages built into the elevated terrain.

The first written mention dates from 1381, when the castle guarded the route from Brno through the Blansko valley. In 1470 the army of the Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus took and demolished it. The present Nový hrad was built in 1493 by the brothers Dobeš and Beneš Černohorský of Boskovice, using material from the ruined castle.

The castle's name shifted over time: the original 14th-century castle was called Nový hrad, and only after the present castle was finished did people begin calling the older site Starý hrad. The ruin now hosts events and has served as a film location, including the 1994 film V erbu lvice and several fairy tales.

The access path to the castle crosses the ditch southwest of the ruin, where a well-preserved elevated Hungarian siege position fortified with a ditch and rampart lies on the far side. The walls of Nový hrad stand at nearly their original height, while only small wall remnants, terrain depressions and two wide ditches survive from Starý hrad.

The castle was taken by a ruse in 1645: a legend says the guard was playing dice in the open gate, while another speaks of an Olomučany resident who called for the gate to be opened. The Swedes had bypassed the castle in 1643.