- Type
- Ruin
- Built
- c. 1350 · 14th century
- Site origins
- 1292 per Wikidata – an earlier stronghold or first mention
- Location
- Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland
- Style
- Gothic architecture
- Coordinates
- 50.8336°, 15.6436°
History
Tradition links the beginnings of the stronghold on Chojnik hill to Duke Bolko I, said to have built a wooden manor here in the late 13th century. The stone castle was built around the mid-14th century under Bolko II the Small, Duke of Świdnica and Jawor. In the late 14th century it passed to the Schaffgotsch family, who held it until 1945 and added new fortifications in the 16th century. In 1675 a fire started by lightning gutted the castle, and it has been a ruin ever since – one already popular with Romantic travellers in the 19th century.
What to see
Trails climb from Sobieszów through the forests of Karkonosze National Park, including a steep path through the Hell's Valley gorge. On the summit survive the defensive walls, the outer bailey, a courtyard with a pillory and a round tower overlooking the Jelenia Góra Valley and the Karkonosze ridge. In summer the castle hosts a crossbow tournament with knightly fraternities.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q511254
Popularity: articles about this site in 15 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).