Kost Castle
Encyclopedia
Jicín District
The Jičín District is a district within the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the city of Jičín.-Complete list of towns and villages:Cities are bolded.Bačalky -Bašnice -Běchary -Bílsko u Hořic -Boháňka -...
of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
Kost Castle lies in Northern Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, specifically the region Bohemian Paradise
Bohemian Paradise
Bohemian Paradise is a protected landscape area located in the North of the Czech Republic. There are numerous hiking and biking trails and several campsites...
(Český Ráj) It was first proposed by Beneš von Wartenberg in 1349 as a possible construction site and was completed by his son Peter von Wartenberg. It retains most of the original feautures and is overall very well preserved and maintained.
The castle is known for its so-called "White tower" (Bílá Věž). In about 1414 the family of
Zajíc von Hasenburg moved there; later the family of Schellenberg (1497 - 1524), Lobkowicz
Lobkowicz
The Lobkowicz family is one of the oldest still existing Bohemian noble families dating back to the 14th century...
(till 1576) and others; in this time some more buildings were built near the castle and joined to it.
Unlike most other castles in Bohemia, it does not lie on a hill, but on a spit between two brooks. Another peculiarity is the tower, which has a trapezoid-like ground-plan. The trapezoidal tower has the corners facing the areas of most likely catapult attacks. This is to make the missiles glance off the tower walls instead of hitting it headon thereby minimizing the damage.