Hauenstejn Castle, Stráž nad Ohří, Czech Republic

Hauenštejn is a medieval castle in the Czech Republic built in the 13th century by Přemysl Otakar II or his son Václav II to guard royal paths and local mines. The first known owner was Mikuláš Winkler, burgrave of Loket Castle, who sold Hauenštejn to the monastery in Doksany. The monastery exchanged it for another building with King John of Luxemburg. His son Charles IV enlarged the castle‘s domain. The castle frequently changed its keepers in the second half of the 14th century and the 15th century but it more or less remained royal property.

The rich family of Šlik that started silver mining near Jáchymov won the castle in the 16th century. The Šliks rebuilt the castle in the Renaissance style after a fire in 1600. In 1663 the Šliks sold the castle to the Saxe-Lauenburg ducal family and it became part of the Ostrov domain. The castle was in the hands of the Baden family from 1689. When the last male member of the family died in 1771, the property of the Badens in Bohemia was inherited by the royal family of Maria Theresa. The Habsburgs sold it to the Buquoy family in 1837. Countess Gabrielle Buquoy started to rebuild the castle in a Romantic style. Ferdinand Buquoy continued the reconstruction under the influence of historism, taking its examples from England.

In World War II it was used by the Hitler Youth and it was also used for snake experiments – a snake from the genus of Coluber was set in the location to fight the adder and a kind of serum was developed there that Rommel used in Africa. After the war it was confiscated by the state and communists made it an accommodation for the uranium miners in Jáchymov, and then for a youth organisation. In 1958 it was condemned as not suitable for living and closed up. From that time it was constantly being ruined, partly by time, partly by vandals.

In 2000 Pavel Palacký, a descendant of Czech historian František Palacký, bought the castle from the village of Krásný Les and started with its sanitation.

References:

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User Reviews

R K (3 years ago)
I was accomodated 3 times there, each time during a 4-day event, in September of 2020, 2021 and 2022. The reconstruction has not (visually) moved a bit since my first time, some of the rooms are kinda barebone and temporary (difficult to find an electric socket or lightswitch in some rooms, temporary walking bridges made from plywood etc.). As for the castle itself, it may be fun for the kids, but will disappoint an avid castlegoer - very little historic artifacts, but a lot of wooden statues, wannabe knight decorations etc. May be a great venue for medieval fairs and swordfight, but not a lot of genuine history there. Entrance fee kinda high. Attentive staff. Also several cats and peacocks :)

Anna Semeniuk (3 years ago)
Nice historical place, but don't forget to take some cash ? There is impossible to pay buy card for entrance tickets.

R K (4 years ago)
2020: I slept here for the weekend - great staff, tasty food, good beer, little bit barebone and sometimes cold inside in early October. 2021: I slept here for 3 days and still the same - attentive staff, lodging kinda barebone but clean, delays with the food but overall nice experience. Cats and peacocks :)

Paweł K. Bieliszczuk (4 years ago)
Worth visiting. Try grilled sausage and share some with cats.

Serge “GIDDA Praha” (4 years ago)
Fantastic ambiance, great work of renovation, really interesting place with a great animation ????

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