At the beginning of the 14th century, the noble family of Vartemberk ordered the building of a castle on the hill near Nová Paka. It was originally called Goldenberk or Kolmburk, today`s Kumburk.
Because of massive renovation work, we do not know much about the original look of the castle. At the northeastern side, there are remnants of probably a walled fortification that may have been developed along the whole core structure. The fortification to protect against cannon attack is one of the best examples of the efforts made in the mid 15th century to protect places in an active way. From 1621 Kumburk was in the possession of Albrecht of Valdštejn. After his death, the castle changed hands several times and then, after 1658, Kumburk was nearly destroyed. In spite of that, nowadays it belongs among our most interesting castles.
The shortest way is from the railway station in Syřenov, along the yellow trail (3km). Other alternatives are Nová Paka and Stará Paka (4km) or the popular red tourist trail from Ploužnice (7km).
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.