August 2008
Točnick and Žebrak Castles
On my never-ending quest to see all the castles in Europe, I have checked a couple more off the list. This time getting two birds with one stone. About 60 km from Prague are a pair of castles dating back to the 13th century. Točnick castle was built in the 14th century by Vaclav IV who used it as a hunting lodge and secure residence for when staying in Prague was too risky. The castle was remodeled during the renaissance and remained a prominent royal residence until the Thirty Years War, after which it was abandoned. Only during the 20th century was the castle restored and opened to the public.
Here I am with the family of my friend Mateusz.
Inside the castle we saw a display of Falconry.
From the walls of Točnik one can look down upon the old watch tower of Žebrak. Built in the early 1300s, it was mostly a military fortress but did still contain some royal accoutrements until around a hundred years later when Točnik was completed. The two castles were used jointly until 1532 when Žebrak was destroyed by a fire.
Me, Mateusz and little Wanda.
