Točník Castle

The Točník Castle as seen from the hill Velíz

Točník Castle lies in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. More accurately, it is in the Beroun District above the village of Točník. It was built during the reign of Václav IV above the already existing castle Žebrák.^[1] The two castles, Točník and Žebrák, make up a pictoresque "couple," standing almost right next to each other.

History

The area where the castle stands was inhabited by people two thousand years ago, but it was not until the fourteenth century when the king decided to build a residence there. The castle Točník was built after the large fire in the castle Žebrák, which showed how unsafe it was for the king and how its position was not strategic. During the Hussite wars, when Václav's brother Sigismund was in power, the castle was besieged by the Hussite army for three days, until it gave up and burnt down the towns Točník and Hořovice instead. The castle was then handed over from one person to another, but it never found an owner that would keep it for a longer time and so it was gradually reduced to ruins.^[2] In the year 1923, the castle was sold to the Czech Association of Tourists for 2000 crowns and now it belongs to the state.

References

• Točník Castle

Coordinates: 49°53′13″N 13°53′00″E / 49.88694°N 13.88333°E / 49.88694; 13.88333