Castle Grabstein in the Czech Republic
Rating: 8,2/10 (2500 votes)  Grabstein Castle is located near Liberec, near the border of three countries - the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany. Initially, the fortress was built in the Gothic style, but over the centuries it was often reconstructed, and as a result, the facade and interior decoration of the building acquired the look of the Renaissance style. The castle is located near the valley of the Luzhnitskaya Nisa river, on a steep rock. The fortress was first mentioned in the 13th century, but the exact date of its construction is still unknown. During the reign of Premysl Otakar II, burgraves from Donin appeared, who are considered the first owners of the castle. In the same period, a large round tower appeared in the fortress, which at that time served as an observation point. Almost until the end of the 15th century, the Grabstein fortress, located on the border between Lusatia and the Czech Republic, was the site of many military battles. At the same time, a fortification line with bastions was built. Nowadays, some of these fortifications can be seen in the south wing. The Doninov family owned the castle until the 16th century, but they had to sell the castle due to debts and problems with the co-owners of the estate. In 1562, the castle was acquired by Dr. Jiri Meel, who was a provincial councilor and deputy to the chancellor. The old fortress acquired a Renaissance style at that time. The ancient chapel of St. Barbara has also changed its appearance. In 1586, with the coming to power of Rudolph II, Meel's position deteriorated greatly and he sold Grabstein. The next owner of the castle was Ferdinand Hoffmann. During the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), the castle housed a Swedish garrison, as a result of which the royal apartments were converted into simple and modest barracks, and the numerous bastions and the tower were again used for their intended purpose. At the end of the war, the fortress was acquired by the influential family of Trauttmansdorffs. In 1655, a decree was issued on the liquidation of the castle, with the aim of lowering the military significance of the fortress. Even the Trauttmansdorffs could not reverse this decision, as a result of which all the fortifications were demolished. In 1704 Duke-Christian Klam-Gallas took possession of the castle, in order to annex Grabstein to their North Bohemian possessions. After the reconstruction works, the fortress turned into the New Castle, located in the center of a large park, where valuable and rare plant species grew. In 1945 the castle was practically devastated due to theft and looting ... In 1989, restoration and reconstruction work was carried out here. The castle opened for tourists in 1993.    We also recommend reading Bezdez Castle in the Czech Republic Topic: Castle Grabstein in the Czech Republic. |
