Tvrz, Fortified house in Kundratice, Czech Republic.

Tvrz is a vanished fortress in Kundratice, part of Košťálov, of which only the earthworks remain, protected as a cultural monument. The two-part layout stood in the middle of the village north of road II/286: a circular core 25 m across ringed by a ditch, with a depression on the summit marking the cellar of a roughly 12 × 12 m tower. A bailey enclosed by a partly preserved rampart adjoins the core on the south.

This house was built during the medieval period when local rulers and administrators needed fortified dwellings to maintain control over rural Bohemia. Its construction reflects the practical solutions of the era when security concerns directly shaped residential design.

The name Tvrz comes from the Czech word for a fortified stronghold, reflecting its purpose as a defended residence for local landowners. This naming tradition shows how medieval communities identified buildings by their protective function rather than by individual owners.

The building is visible from outside and can be reached by following paths from Kundratice village. Wear sturdy shoes when visiting, as the approach uses rural pathways without paved surfaces.

The fortress vanished after the Waldstein brothers Hynek and Jindřich of Štěpanice attached it to Jilemnice; it is absent from the 1492 partition of that estate. Finds of burnt daub show it burned down, while local tradition links its end to the Battle of Lipany.