Milštejn Castle: A Medieval Fortress in the Czech Republic

Visitor Information

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Official Website: turistickamapa.cz

Country: Czechia

Civilization: Medieval European

Remains: Military

History

Milštejn Castle is situated near the village of Cvikov-Mařenice in the present-day Czech Republic. It was constructed by Bohemian nobility during the late 13th century to secure an important trade route passing through the Lusatian Mountains.

From its earliest period, the castle served a defensive and administrative function related to commerce. It protected a pathway linking Lipá and Zittau, a vital corridor for merchant caravans in northern Bohemia. Milštejn was part of a broader chain of fortifications erected by the lords of Vartenberk and Ronovci families, both influential in the region. The first known written mention of Milštejn dates from 1343, describing it as a station tasked with escorting traders traveling between Oybin and Česká Lípa.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, ownership of Milštejn belonged to the noble family Berka of Dubá. Notably, Jindřich Berka z Dubé held the castle from 1362 until 1404, after which his descendants identified themselves with the castle’s name. In this period, the fortress maintained a small garrison of about a dozen to sixteen armed men who fulfilled dual roles: safeguarding merchant convoys and collecting tolls. Despite these defenses, in 1456 the castle was overtaken by forces from Lusatia.

The 15th century saw the castle reach its zenith, with records from 1545 referring to it as “Zámek Milsstaain.” Ownership continued within the Berka family into the 16th century; however, the fortress gradually fell out of use. By 1590, only a single guard remained stationed at the site. Further damage occurred in 1634 during military campaigns when Swedish troops commanded by General Banner inflicted harm on the castle.

Parallel to its military history, the surrounding landscape was exploited for quartz sandstone, a material prized for crafting millstones. Quarrying near Milštejn began as early as the 13th century and expanded substantially in the 18th and 19th centuries. This industrial activity caused progressive destruction to the castle’s structures. Ultimately, the site ceased quarry operations around 1910.

Today, the castle’s ruins hold official recognition as a cultural monument within the Czech Republic, cataloged under number 14320/5–2870.

Remains

Milštejn Castle is perched atop Žernov peak in the Lusatian Mountains, occupying a natural quartzite rock formation approximately 20 meters in height, at an elevation between 544 and 562 meters. The castle’s original layout was strategic, allowing surveillance over the adjacent trade route and surrounding terrain, although precise plans are not documented.

Surviving structures primarily consist of remnants of enclosing walls and the faint outlines of former towers. These architectural elements have been heavily affected by centuries of sandstone quarrying, which damaged foundations and led to the systematic loss of above-ground construction. Key towers were dismantled or collapsed at different times: one was demolished around 1685, another fell in 1726, and the final bergfried, a type of main defensive tower, was intentionally destroyed in 1793.

A defining geological feature is the large natural rock arch, known locally as the Felstor, which cuts beneath the central portion of the rock massif. Below the ruins, several collapsed underground chambers are visible, created largely through sandstone extraction activities rather than original castle design.

Nearby, the Stříbrná studánka spring lies roughly 200 meters away from the ruins. Historically, water from this spring supplied a pond, of which only the dam remains today.

Access to the site is facilitated by hiking paths marked in red and green, with the green trail providing a direct approach from the village of Svor to the castle ruins.