Border Castle

Border Castle, also referred to as Nejdek Castle, is a medieval ruin perched above the Rolava River on the northern edge of the town of Nejdek, in the Karlovy Vary Region of western Czechia. Of what was once a defensive stronghold, only one structure survives in recognizable form today: a stone tower known locally as the Black Tower, standing on a granite outcrop above the town.

Why is it called a "border" castle?

Nejdek sat along a trade route running from Chodov toward Saxony, through the Ore Mountains (Krušné hory) that have long formed a natural boundary between Bohemia and the German-speaking lands to the north. Historians believe the stronghold was built specifically to guard this border route and the goods moving along it, including tin mined in the area around Porolaví. That border-guarding role is the likely source of the castle's English name.

When was the castle built, and by whom?

The fortification's origins trace back to the 13th century. Konrád Plik z Plikenštejna is generally credited as its founder, and the earliest written record of the estate dates to 1340, when Petr Plik received the castle in fief from King John of Bohemia. The Plik family held the property through most of the 14th century. Ownership then changed hands repeatedly, passing through Bušek z Prohoře, the Frencl family, Hanuš Forter, Janek Maleřík, and the Fras and Kopp families. In 1446 the estate was acquired by Matyáš Šlik, and the Šlik family retained control until 1602. From 1623 onward, a notable owner was Heřman Černín z Chudenic.

What remains of the castle today?

The only original element still standing is a stone tower, built from unplastered masonry and fitted with arrow slits and narrow windows — one of which retains a carved late Gothic stone seat, or sedile. The tower was originally taller; in the 19th century it was reduced in height and converted for use as a church bell tower, gaining a gallery and a conical roof in the process. It remained inhabited until 1790. Today it houses a rare Renaissance bell cast by the Prague founder Brikcí z Cymperka. Beyond the tower, only scattered wall fragments and faint traces of a former residential building survive on the rocky spur. The site has been protected as a cultural monument since 1964.

Can visitors climb the tower?

Most of the ruin is not open for casual exploration, but the tower itself can be viewed from below by walking up to the rocky ridge overlooking the town. Access inside the tower is sometimes possible by prior arrangement with the site's caretaker, since it still functions as the bell tower for a nearby parish church.

How do you get to Nejdek Castle?

The ruin sits right above the center of Nejdek, on the right bank of the Rolava, making it an easy walk from the town square. Nejdek lies in the Ore Mountains not far from Karlovy Vary, making the ruin a convenient stop on a broader tour of the Karlovy Vary region.

Frequently asked questions

Is Border Castle the same site as the one in the Lednice–Valtice area? No. Some databases mistakenly link the name "Border Castle" to a small structure near the village of Hlohovec in southern Moravia's Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape — a completely unrelated site roughly 400 km away.

What exactly is left to see on site? Mainly the distinctive, trapezoidal stone tower standing on its granite outcrop, together with modest remnants of the former defensive walls.

Can you go inside the tower? Interior access is limited and depends on arrangement with the caretaker, so it's worth checking ahead of a visit.

Why did only the tower survive? From the 17th century onward the estate's owners lived in a nearby manor house instead of the castle itself, so the fortress fell into disuse and decay — only its solid stone tower proved sturdy enough to endure.