Šaunštejn Castle (German: ''Schauenstein'', also ''Hohenleipaer Raubschloss'') is a rock castle near
Vysoká Lípa (''Hohenleipa'') in the
Bohemian Switzerland
Bohemian Switzerland ( cs, České Švýcarsko; german: Böhmische Schweiz), also known as Czech Switzerland, is a picturesque region in the north-western Czech Republic.
It has been a protected area (as Elbe Sandstone Mountains Protected Landscap ...
in the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
. Today only a few ruins remain of the original castle. Preserved are the foundations of the wooden superstructure, several rooms that were chiselled-out of the rock and the
cistern.
History
The castle was built by the
Berka of Dubá
Berka of Dubá ( cs, Berka z Dubé) was a cadet branch of a Bohemian noble family of Lords of Dubá established by Hynek Berka of Dubá (1249–1306). It held estates in what is today the Czech Republic and Saxony in Germany throughout the Middl ...
family from
Lípa in the 14th century to protect the Old Bohemian Road (''Alte Böhmerstraße''), the trade route from
Bohemia to
Lusatia
Lusatia (german: Lausitz, pl, Łużyce, hsb, Łužica, dsb, Łužyca, cs, Lužice, la, Lusatia, rarely also referred to as Sorbia) is a historical region in Central Europe, split between Germany and Poland. Lusatia stretches from the Bóbr ...
. From 1435 it belonged to the Wartenbergs who used it as a base for raids. In the 15th century it was besieged several times by the
Wettins and the
Lusatian League
The Lusatian League (german: Oberlausitzer Sechsstädtebund; cs, Šestiměstí; pl, Związek Sześciu Miast) was a historical alliance of six towns in the Bohemian (1346–1635), later Saxon (1635–1815) region of Upper Lusatia, that existed fr ...
and finally destroyed.
Views
In clear weather the view extends from the
Kaltenberg, the
Lausche, the
Rosenberg, over the
Hoher Schneeberg to the
Ore Mountains.
See also
*
List of castles in the Czech Republic
This is a list of castles and chateaux in the Czech Republic, organized by regions.
Central Bohemia (S)
Hradec Králové (H)
Karlovy Vary (K)
Liberec (L)
Moravia-Silesia (T)
Olomouc (M)
Pardubice (E)
Plzeň (P)
Prague (A)
So ...
Sources
* Richard Klos: ''Die sechs Felsenburgen in der Böhmischen Schweiz''. In:
Sächsische Heimatblätter Heft 3/1968, pp. 97–103
External links
Website for Šaunštejn Castle
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saunstejn Castle
Bohemian Switzerland
Rock formations of the Czech Republic
Děčín District
Rock castles
Castles in the Ústí nad Labem Region
Tourist attractions in the Ústí nad Labem Region
Ruined castles in the Czech Republic