Čap, Medieval ruins in Zátyní, Czech Republic

Čap is a vanished rock castle on a sandstone promontory near Zátyní, in the Kokořínsko – Máchův kraj protected landscape area. Only rock-cut features survive: a cellar largely filled with washed-in material and a circular sunken pit 2.8 metres in diameter, whose wall steps inward at about three metres depth to form a terrace around a smaller cylinder, probably used as an ice store or supply pit. A partly natural, partly rock-cut ditch separates the core, which rises three metres above the forecourt.

Čap was probably founded by Jindřich Berka of Dubá between 1391 and 1402, since it is absent from the 1391 inventory of his estates. The only written mention dates from 1402, when it passed to his son Václav Berka of Dubá during the division of the inheritance. Václav soon sold the estate to Helfenburk and moved to Zakšín or Vidim in 1403, leaving Čap abandoned.

The Czech Republic designated Čap as a protected cultural monument, recognizing its role in preserving the architectural heritage of the region.

The site is accessible from Zátyní village by following hiking paths that lead uphill from the settlement. Wear sturdy footwear and visit during daylight hours, as some areas can be uneven and difficult to navigate.

The round sunken feature cut into the rock measures 2.8 metres across; at about three metres deep its wall steps inward to form a terrace around a smaller cylinder, so it probably served as a cold store or storage pit.