Kost Castle

Kost was built in the second half of the fourteenth century on a sandstone spur at the bottom of the Plakanek valley rather than on a summit, which is unusual and deliberate: the ponds around it could be raised to flood the approaches, and the surrounding rock walls meant an attacker had to come down to it. Its keep, the White Tower, has a trapezoid-like plan with its corners facing the directions of likeliest catapult attack, so that missiles would glance off the walls instead of hitting them head on. It was never taken. The complex is one of the best-preserved Gothic castles in the country, with a chapel, cellars used for a torture exhibition, and rooms holding painting and arms. The Plakanek valley below is a walking route through sandstone and mill ponds.

History

Kost was founded before 1349 by Beneš of Wartenberg and completed by his sons Peter and Marquard in high Gothic style, and it keeps most of its original features. Unlike most Bohemian castles it stands not on a hill but on a spit of land between two brooks, and its keep, the White Tower, protected by two rings of walls, has a trapezoid-like plan with its corners towards the likeliest lines of catapult attack, so that missiles would glance off. In 1414 the Zajíc of Hasenburg family moved in, when Nicolaus of Hasenburg married Skunka, the widow of Peter of Wartenberg; later owners included the Schellenbergs (1497-1524), the Bibersteins (1524-1551) and the Lobkowicz family (until 1576), and over the centuries further buildings were joined to the castle. It belongs to the Kinský dal Borgo family (Wikipedia, Kost Castle).

What's there

• A castle in a valley - built low with ponds that could flood the approaches.
• A trapezoidal keep - corners turned towards the likeliest line of attack.
• A preserved Gothic complex - chapel, cellars and rooms largely intact.
• The Plakanek valley - sandstone and mill ponds walked from below.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

What to expect

Guided tours only, seasonal, with several routes. The torture exhibition is aimed at a particular audience. Parking is limited and the valley road is narrow. It closes in winter.

Nearby

Humprecht is above Sobotka; the Bohemian Paradise rock cities are north.

Key facts