Czocha Castle

Czocha, Poland

Czocha Castle is located on the Lake Leśnia, what is now the Polish part of Upper Lusatia. Czocha castle was built on gneiss rock, and its oldest part is the keep, to which housing structures were later added.

Czocha Castle began as a stronghold, on the Czech-Lusatian border. Its construction was ordered by Wenceslaus I of Bohemia, in the middle of the 13th century (1241–1247). In 1253 castle was handed over to Konrad von Wallhausen, Bishop of Meissen. In 1319 the complex became part of the dukedom of Henry I of Jawor, and after his death, it was taken over by another Silesian prince, Bolko II the Small, and his wife Agnieszka. Origin of the stone castle dates back to 1329.

In the mid-14th century, Czocha Castle was annexed by Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia. Then, between 1389 and 1453, it belonged to the noble families of von Dohn and von Kluks. Reinforced, the complex was besieged by the Hussites in the early 15th century, who captured it in 1427, and remained in the castle for unknown time (see Hussite Wars). In 1453, the castle was purchased by the family of von Nostitz, who owned it for 250 years, making several changes through remodelling projects in 1525 and 1611. Czocha's walls were strengthened and reinforced, which thwarted a Swedish siege of the complex during the Thirty Years War. In 1703, the castle was purchased by Jan Hartwig von Uechtritz, influential courtier of Augustus II the Strong. On August 17, 1793, the whole complex burned in a fire.

In 1909, Czocha was bought by a cigar manufacturer from Dresden, Ernst Gutschow, who ordered major remodelling, carried out by Berlin architect Bodo Ebhardt, based on a 1703 painting of the castle. Gutschow, who was close to the Russian Imperial Court and hosted several White emigres in Czocha, lived in the castle until March 1945. Upon leaving, he packed up the most valuable possessions and moved them out.

After World War II, the castle was ransacked several times, both by soldiers of the Red Army, and Polish thieves, who came to the so-called Recovered Territories from central and eastern part of the country. Pieces of furniture and other goods were stolen, and in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the castle was home to refugees from Greece. In 1952, Czocha was taken over by the Polish Army. Used as a military vacation resort, it was erased from official maps. The castle has been open to the public since September 1996 as a hotel and conference centre. The complex was featured in several movies and television series. Recently, the castle has been used as the setting of the College of Wizardry, a live action role-playing game (LARP) that takes place in their own universe and can be compared to Harry Potter.

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Czocha, Poland
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Founded: 1241
Category: Castles and fortifications in Poland

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4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Ely Werneck (51 days ago)
Very interesting place! The castle is unique and the guide was amazing. All the secret passages and the stoties about the unknown underground tunnels are awesome!
Kyra Jade Debono (3 months ago)
Went on a tour of the castle. The rooms were very interesting BUT the only way to enter is with a guided tour which is only available in Polish. Apart from this, the security at the front charged us 32 zloty saying it’s for parking and courtyard when courtyard was already included in the guided tour ticket.
Alex Alexo (4 months ago)
Cool castle, had a guided tour but they are provided only in Polish (for English tour you have to reserve it via internet/phone beforehand)! I speak some Polish thus for me it was ok but for those who don't it can be a bad surprise. The orientation is much to be desired as I got lost regarding the entrance and was waiting in a wrong place, was about to miss my guide group. Thanks for a nice lady who hepled me and let me into the castle through a different entrance :)
Jennifer Badr (4 months ago)
Nice castle to visit of you are in the area. The castle has a great history, the guide will tell you all about it if you visit the inside of the castle. There is also a dungeon, that was used like a torture room/prison. Photos are allowed everywhere. Dogs are also allowed.
Maik Ledrich (7 months ago)
I visited the castle with a guided tour. Its Okay. There are far better castles to visit like Można or Książ castle. Its sad that there is nothing to explore in the immediate area around the castle itself. It's suitable for kids though with its secret doorways you will experience during the tour, exploring the courtyard and also Media rooms like the torture chamber. The tour itself is in polish, but there are signs in each room explaining the essentials in polish, German and English. You also get a handout beforehand with the same text. Prices are about 40 PLN for a normal ticket+ 16 PLN for torture chamber visit. There are also reduced price options. There seems to be a visitor limit for the guided tour, so if you miss a window you might have to wait for the next available slot. All together it's fine and they do a good job creating a medical flair without being so heavy on history and be suitable for kids as well.
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