Kašperk Castle

Kašperk Castle is a ruined royal stronghold perched at 886 metres above sea level in the Šumava mountains of southwestern Bohemia, right above the town of Kašperské Hory. It is regarded as the highest-situated royal castle in the Czech Republic — a position that was no accident, but the deliberate choice of Emperor Charles IV, who needed a stronghold there to control the border and the gold beneath it.

Why did Charles IV build a castle on this particular ridge?

Charles IV had three reasons for raising a fortress on this Šumava ridge: guarding the border with Bavaria, overseeing the gold-mining district around Kašperské Hory, and protecting the Golden Route, the old trade road linking the Bohemian lands with Passau and, further on, the salt-producing regions of Austria. Construction ran from 1356 to 1365 under a builder known as Vít Hedvábný ("Vitus the Silky"), who managed to complete the whole complex in only a few years — remarkably fast by the standards of medieval fortress building. In honour of its founder, the castle was first named Karlsberg.

Where did the gold that the castle protected come from?

The hills around Kašperské Hory genuinely held gold, and locals mined it for generations. When miners once unearthed a sizeable gold nugget, it was sent straight to Prague, to Charles IV himself — a telling detail about how much this corner of the Šumava mattered economically to the King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor. The castle existed to make sure the crown never lost its grip on that income.

Who owned the castle after Charles IV's death?

Once its founder died, Kašperk changed hands almost continuously, passed from one pledged holder to the next. During the Hussite wars it belonged to the Zmrzlík family of Svojšín, supporters of the Hussite chalice, and later to the Šternberk family, to Půta Švihovský of Rýzmberk, and to the Švamberk family. Repairs were carried out in 1495 under Jindřich, son of Bohuslav of Švamberk, and Doctor Václav of Velhartice; the costs were only settled in 1533, when the next owner, Jiřík Lokšan, reimbursed the outstanding expenses. Since 1616 the castle has belonged to the town of Kašperské Hory, which still owns it today.

Why did the castle fall into ruin?

Municipal ownership did little to improve its fortunes — the town cared for the building no more than its previous holders had. The turning point came in 1655, when an order called for the demolition of fortified castles across the land. From then on the townspeople stopped any upkeep altogether, and instead stripped usable stone and timber from the walls to reuse in their own houses. What had once been a formidable royal stronghold slowly crumbled into the picturesque ruin visitors see today.

What can visitors see at Kašperk today?

The castle is open to visitors, cared for by castellan Václav Kůs and a team looking after the ruin — recent years have brought work such as repairs to the castle's bridges. From its walls and tower, the view stretches across the forested hills of the Šumava, and the site remains one of the region's defining landmarks, a reminder of a time when an emperor himself took a personal interest in this stretch of land.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Kašperk Castle located? At 886 metres above sea level in the Šumava mountains of southwestern Bohemia, above the town of Kašperské Hory.

Who built Kašperk Castle, and why? Charles IV built it between 1356 and 1365 to guard the border with Bavaria, oversee nearby gold mining, and protect the Golden Route trade road to Passau.

Why did the castle become a ruin? After a 1655 order to demolish fortified castles, the townspeople of Kašperské Hory stopped maintaining it and stripped its stone for their own use.

Since when has the castle belonged to Kašperské Hory? Since 1616, and the town remains its owner today.

Is Kašperk the highest-situated castle in the Czech Republic? Yes, it is considered the highest-situated royal castle in Bohemia, at 886 metres above sea level.