Kaltenštejn Castle: A Medieval Fortress in the Czech Republic

Visitor Information

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Official Website: www.hrady.cz

Country: Czechia

Civilization: Medieval European

Site type: Military

Remains: Castle

History

Kaltenštejn castle stands near the village of Černá Voda in the present-day Czech Republic and was built by medieval settlers around the end of the 13th century. Its origins are closely tied to the regional power struggles of the time, particularly between secular and ecclesiastical authorities.

The castle first appears in written records dating from 1295 and 1296 during a dispute between Duke Bolko I of Świdnica and Bishop Jan Romka of Wrocław. At that time, Kaltenštejn was described as a newly constructed fortress situated on land belonging to the church within the territory known then as “Niska země.” Initially, Duke Bolko I held the castle after acquiring it from its original builders, who had been labeled enemies of the church. However, by 1299 control passed to Bishop Jan Romka, who installed his brother Dětřich as castellan, making the castle an ecclesiastical possession.

Throughout the 14th century, the castle’s ownership frequently changed through pledges and inheritances, illustrating the financial and political difficulties of its ecclesiastical lords. Bishop Přeclav of Pohořelá played a significant role in 1345 by partially redeeming and inheriting the property. During this period, Kaltenštejn functioned as an administrative center overseeing nearby villages such as Stará Červená Voda and Jindřichovice u Vidnavy. While the turbulent Hussite Wars involved widespread conflict, there is no clear evidence that Kaltenštejn was captured; still, it was repeatedly pawned due to economic strain suffered by the bishopric.

In 1441, the castle became involved in a dramatic episode when knight Zikmund Rachna seized it after abducting the daughter of the Kłodzko region’s governor, Půta of Častolovice. The bishop’s forces soon regained control, and Rachna was captured, tortured, and executed for his actions. Despite this violent incident, the castle underwent no significant repairs afterward and fell into decay by the mid-15th century.

Bishop Jan IV Roth repurchased Kaltenštejn in 1505 but chose not to restore the fortress. Instead, by 1512, he ordered its demolition in opposition to the wishes of the Wrocław chapter. According to local tradition, stones from Kaltenštejn were repurposed for reconstructing Jánský Vrch castle, which served as the bishop’s summer residence.

The castle was originally constructed around 1290 atop a hill known as Hradisko. This site was previously referred to as Biskupská čepice, meaning “Bishop’s Cap,” reflecting its ecclesiastical connections. The fortress occupied an area measuring roughly 100 by 30 to 70 meters and was built primarily using granite quarried locally.

Remains

Kaltenštejn occupies a hilltop site with a roughly oval layout stretching along an east-west axis, measuring up to 45 by 30 meters at its largest core section. The position on the hill made defensive features like moats unnecessary. The core of the castle includes a freestanding circular tower known as a bergfried, a type of keep or main tower used mainly for defense and refuge, which remains one of the best-preserved parts of the structure.

This bergfried stands approximately 20 meters tall today, despite damage caused by an explosion in later times. Its base is about 10.6 meters in diameter, with walls originally around 4.35 meters thick at ground level, thinning to 1.5 meters on upper floors. The ground floor contained a vaulted chamber, a vaulted ceiling design providing strength and durability. Access to the upper, habitable floors was originally through a door situated at the first-floor level, reached likely by a wooden stair or ladder. The tower also featured narrow openings called arrow slits for archers and a battlemented walkway crowning the top for defense.

Next to the bergfried lies a two-section palace building approximately 11 by 13 meters in size. Its surviving basement remains consist of three separate rooms, one still showing traces of vaulted ceiling fragments. The palace’s walls were robust, up to two meters thick, reflecting its dual role as a residence and stronghold.

Only small sections of the original defensive wall surrounding the core have survived, mainly to the northwest. These remains suggest the walls once stood about seven meters high and roughly two meters thick. Kaltenštejn also had two outer baileys, or enclosed courtyards, situated on its northwest side. The first bailey contained a building documented in 1443 and was accessed through a main entrance near a distinctive stepped pillar.

A second gate connected to the outer bailey near a rectangular bastion, a fortification projecting out from the wall. Archaeological traces of a gate portal at this location show grooves designed to hold a drawbridge mechanism. Just inside this gate, there was a guardroom and a covered well, which remained visible even into the 19th century, indicating the strategic and practical importance of water supply within the castle.

Encircling the hilltop is an outer defensive wall called a parkán, built during the late 14th or early 15th century. This wall was thinner, about 1.1 meters wide, and included a single, modest bastion for added protection. The gate in this outer wall was a simple rectangular opening with no moat or bridge, showing defensive strategies adapted to the site’s natural landscape. Documentary sources note that the outer bailey housed functional structures such as stables, a windmill, and a brewery, indicating the castle supported a self-contained community.

The southern flank of Kaltenštejn was recognized as its most vulnerable side and accordingly featured especially strong fortifications. The castle’s entrance was located on the west side, where remains of the gateway have been preserved.

Constructed primarily of granite quarried nearby, Kaltenštejn’s masonry reflects the durable materials available locally. Its total footprint covered roughly 100 by 30 to 70 meters on the uneven hilltop. Despite suffering partial destruction and centuries of neglect, Kaltenštejn remains one of the best-preserved medieval castles in the Silesian region that retained its original medieval structure, without significant alterations into Renaissance or Baroque styles.