Gutštejn Castle

Gutštejn Castle is a picturesque medieval ruin perched on a rocky promontory above the Hadovka stream, close to the village of Okrouhlé Hradiště in the Tachov district of western Bohemia. The site is dominated by a roughly 20-metre-high round-cornered tower that still rises above the surrounding forest canopy.

Where did this place come from?

The castle was built around 1300 as the seat of the Lords of Gutštejn. Dětřich I of Krasovice is regarded as the founder of the family and most likely the one who commissioned the fortress. The name Gutštejn first appears in written records in 1319, when the abbot of the Teplá monastery leased nearby villages for ten years to Jetřich I of Gutštejn and his son Sezema. By 1379, the castle together with the villages of Okrouhlé Hradiště, Břetislav, and Líšťany was held by Půta, a member of the same family.

How did it survive the Hussite Wars?

The most turbulent chapter of the castle's history came during the Hussite Wars. In 1421, Hussite forces laid siege to the fortress but withdrew toward Úterý after several unsuccessful weeks. The following spring, in 1422, troops from Prague led by Jan Žižka renewed the assault and this time succeeded in capturing the castle. Despite this defeat, the Lords of Gutštejn — unlike many other noble families of the period — ultimately profited from the upheaval, expanding their estates by acquiring property from lesser nobility and the Catholic Church.

Why is it a ruin today?

The Gutštejn family held the castle continuously until 1549, when the estate was purchased by Hanuš Elpognar of Bezdružice. The change of ownership marked the beginning of the castle's decline: by the 1550s, sources already describe it as deserted. The Thirty Years' War delivered the final blow, after which the castle was left permanently in ruins, never to be rebuilt or resettled.

What can you see on site?

The centrepiece of the ruins is the tall, round-cornered tower mentioned above. Its lower section preserves an entrance portal that once allowed direct passage from the adjoining palace building — a layout typical of defensive residential architecture of the period. Beyond the tower, remnants of two palace buildings and sections of the perimeter walls have survived, giving visitors a sense of the castle's original layout. Partly overgrown with forest, the site today has a quiet, atmospheric character quite different from its once-fortified purpose.

How to get there and when to visit?

The ruins lie within the municipality of Okrouhlé Hradiště in the Tachov district of western Bohemia, not far from the spa town of Konstantinovy Lázně. It takes only a few minutes to drive there from nearby villages, and the castle is a popular destination for hikers and cyclists exploring the region. Spring and summer are the best times to visit, when the forest paths leading up to the site are dry and easy to walk, and the view from the promontory over the Hadovka valley is at its finest. Comfortable footwear is recommended, since the ground around the ruins is uneven and partly wooded.

Frequently asked questions

When was Gutštejn Castle built? The fortress was built around 1300 as the seat of the Lords of Gutštejn, most likely founded by Dětřich I of Krasovice.

Was the castle captured during the Hussite Wars? Yes. Hussite forces unsuccessfully besieged it in 1421, but troops led by Jan Žižka captured the fortress in 1422.

Why is the castle in ruins today? After being sold to the Elpognar family in 1549 the castle began to decline, and the Thirty Years' War sealed its fate as a permanent ruin.

What has survived to this day? The best-preserved element is the roughly 20-metre-high round-cornered tower, along with remains of two palace buildings and the perimeter walls.