Rabí Castle

Rabí Castle is the largest ruined castle in the Czech Republic, its weathered walls rising above the village of Rabí in the Plzeň Region. Protected today as a national monument, the site has survived more than six centuries of sieges, rebuilding, and slow decline.

Where is Rabí Castle and how old is it?

The ruins sit on a hilltop in southwestern Bohemia, within the Plzeň Region. The castle's origins go back to the mid-14th century, when the Budětice family built the first stronghold on the site, though the earliest written record dates only to 1380, the year Půta Švihovský of Rýzmberk took control of the estate. His son Břeněk later expanded the residence considerably, adding new wings and strengthening the surrounding walls.

How did the castle grow over time?

In the second half of the 14th century, the core of the complex was a keep ringed by an irregular curtain wall. By the end of the century, builders had added an upper and lower bailey, creating a wide network of service courtyards. The most expensive phase of construction came at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries under Půta Švihovský (from 1479), who tried to adapt the fortifications for firearms. The work dragged on for decades and was eventually abandoned around 1530, partly because the family had run out of money.

Why did Jan Žižka lose his eye here?

Rabí earned its place in Czech history through two Hussite sieges. In spring 1420, its owner Jan Švihovský stood on the Catholic side of the conflict, which brought the army of the Hussite commander Jan Žižka of Trocnov to the castle walls. The garrison surrendered without a fight, and the victorious Hussites plundered the castle and burned seven captured priests beneath its walls.

A second, far bloodier siege followed in summer 1421. It was here that Žižka, already blind in one eye, lost his remaining eye and became completely blind. He never left command despite the injury and went on leading his troops to further victories. The Hussites eventually took the castle, inflicting heavy damage on the surrounding estates, and it took Jan Švihovský several years to rebuild it.

What happened to the castle afterward?

Ownership passed through several hands over the following decades: Vilém the Younger Švihovský in the mid-15th century, then Půta Švihovský from 1479, who oversaw the major rebuilding mentioned above. The 16th century brought a string of new owners, including Jindřich Krucpach, Diviš Malovec, Vilém of Rožmberk, and Adam Chanovský, who acquired the estate in 1570. Around that time the castle stopped serving as a residence and began to empty out. The Thirty Years' War delivered the final blow: troops under the Protestant commander Ernst von Mansfeld plundered the site, after which it was abandoned and left to decay.

What can visitors see in the ruins today?

Rabí now stands as an imposing, well-preserved late-Gothic ruin, with older Gothic elements from earlier building phases still visible beneath the later work. Its five-storey keep counts among the best-preserved examples of its kind in the Czech Republic, and the extensive bailey system still shows traces of the drawbridges that once connected its courtyards. A small museum dedicated to the castle's history occupies the partially reconstructed "New Rooms," and the lower fortifications incorporate the Church of the Holy Trinity.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Rabí Castle located? In the Plzeň Region of southwestern Bohemia, on a hill above the village of Rabí.

Is Rabí the largest castle ruin in the Czech Republic? Yes, it is generally regarded as the largest castle complex in the country by wall area.

When was the castle built? Probably in the mid-14th century, with the first written mention appearing in 1380.

Why did Jan Žižka lose his sight here? During the second Hussite siege in the summer of 1421, he lost his remaining eye and became completely blind, though he continued to command his army.

When can the castle be visited? The tourist season runs from March 30 to October 28.