Rabi Castle

Rabi stands on a limestone ridge above the Otava and covers a larger area than any other castle ruin in Bohemia - three wards in a line along the rock, with a massive square keep, a chapel, and a curtain wall reinforced with round bastions when artillery arrived. It grew from the fourteenth century as the seat of the Rysmberk family, controlling the gold-panning and the trade road along the river. Its place in Czech history is a single incident: the Hussite commander Jan Zizka besieged and took it in 1421, and during the siege he was wounded and lost his remaining eye, after which he commanded blind until his death. The castle burned in 1720 and has been ruin since. The keep and the walls are climbable and the view runs over the Otava valley to the Sumava foothills. Concerts and re-enactment are held in the wards.

What you actually see

• The largest ruin in Bohemia - three wards strung along a limestone ridge.
• A massive square keep - climbable, with the wall walk around it.
• Artillery bastions - round towers added to the curtain when guns arrived.
• The 1421 siege site - where Zizka lost his second eye.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Honest expectations

It is a ruin with no roofed interiors. Seasonal opening. The walls are extensive - allow real time and expect uneven ground. Tower access closes in bad weather.

Nearby

Susice is upstream; Velhartice and Kasperk are in the Sumava foothills.