Bezděz

The castle was founded by King Přemysl Otakar the Second in the second half of the 13th century. Construction was largely completed in 1279, when the young Wenceslas the Second was imprisoned in the castle. From the beginning of the 14th century, a number of noble families took turns owning the castle, including, for example, the Berka of Dubá, the Lords of Michalovice, of Cimburg, or the Wartenbergs and the Wallensteins. During the 16th century, the castle lost its residential significance. At the beginning of the Thirty Years' War, it was damaged by imperial troops. Albrecht von Wallenstein briefly attempted to rebuild Bezděz into a modern fortress, but he did not complete his intention. From then on, the castle served ecclesiastical purposes, and its chapel transformed into an important pilgrimage site in the 18th century. After its abolition, the castle began to decay and gradually turned into a ruin, which, during the Romantic era, served as a source of inspiration for many artists.