Valdštejn Castle, Turnov, Czech Republic

Valdštejn Castle (Waldstein) is an early Gothic fortress near Turnov, in the Czech Republic. The city was built on three sandstone cliffs in the second half of the thirteenth century by Counts of the Waldstein family. After 1420 the castle was occupied by the Hussites, then later by robber barons. In 1621 the abandoned castle was bought back by the Waldsteins, whose most illustrious member was Albrecht von Wallenstein. During the peak of the Baroque period, they built a pilgrimage church, dedicated to John of Nepomuk, in 1722 on the ruins of the castle.

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User Reviews

Alessandro (3 years ago)
Nice castle to visit, great place surrounded by hooden hill for hicking or biking. Do not take too much, about 1h then enjoy the nature. Great and pleaseant staff ready to help. Recommended.

Erick Nemec (3 years ago)
One of my favorite castles in the area.

Peter Knight (3 years ago)
The new exhibition of the costumes for famous Czech fairytales is great. The young girl that was hosting the tour was fantastic, happy informative and entertaining for the small kids we were with. Definitely worth a visit

ARIFUL IMAM (7 years ago)
Small but well-preserved castle in the heart of "Bohemian paradise", small but interesting exhibition, little too pricey for seeing 3 rooms. But the guide was great. ... great walks and hikes among bolders, only downsize are people trashing this beautiful place.

Michael Romero (7 years ago)
This is a nice castle complex with some great views and beautiful surroundings. We didn’t want to take the tour and because of that the interior rooms were not open to us. Not with going unless you are on the tour. The views were really spectacular and some of the old buildings were impressive.

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Sigmaringen Castle

Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.

The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.

These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.

Valdštejn Castle

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