Bezdez Castle in the Czech Republic
Rating: 8,7/10 (2605 votes)  Bezdez Castle is located 20 kilometers from Ceska Lipa, next to the Makhovo lake, named after Karl Gink Mahi – the great Czech poet. Bezdez is a classic example of the Gothic architectural style, in which two directions were applied - – German and early French Gothic. The castle is located on a hill with a steep mountain path leading to it. Bezdez was originally built in 1264-1278 as a strategic fortress. The founder of the fortress was Premysl Ottakar II – king of Bohemia. Due to the war, the king did not wait for the completion of the construction, as he died in the battle on the Moravian field. The next owner of the castle was the son of Premysl – Wenceslas II, who spent the last years of his life there. Wenceslas's successor was his son, and later Charles the Fourth took possession of the castle. During the reign of Charles, a huge pond was dug near the castle, which later received the name Macho Lake. Later, the castle was fortified by a stone wall, the ruins of which can be seen today. During the Hussite wars, Bezdez was partially destroyed and lay in ruins until the 17th century. In 1622 Albrecht Wallenstein took possession of the castle, who made a lot of efforts to restore the castle. Later Bezdez became a place of pilgrimage for Benedictine monks, who created a treasury in it. In 1778, the Prussian army attacked the monastery and eventually removed all the valuables. The castle remained abandoned for a long time. In it, robbers and hermits found refuge. Since 1968, near the castle there was a military training ground Ralsko, where tank exercises were held. Today the castle Bezdez is partially destroyed, there are no living quarters left here, these are only the ruins of an old fortress, which were fortified and equipped with stairs and railings already in our time. A distinctive feature of the castle is its sandstone ornaments and unusual architecture. Bezdez is famous for its 40-meter Big Tower. Back in Soviet times, tourists were denied access to the tower, because a tank training ground could be seen in detail from its top. 
We also recommend reading Citadel (Tower of David) and Museum of the History of Jerusalem in Israel, Jerusalem resort Topic: Bezdez Castle in the Czech Republic. |
