Příkopy Castle: A Ruined Gothic Fortification in Czechia
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.5
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Czechia
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Duchy of Bohemia, Holy Roman Empire, Kingdom of Bohemia
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page7 sections
History
Příkopy Castle, also known as Starý Rýzmberk, is a ruined Gothic fortification in Czechia, north-east of Podzámčí in the Domažlice District. Its origins may reach back to the eleventh century, although later evidence points to activity in the first half of the thirteenth century, and no single construction date is certain.
Possible eleventh-century origins
No written sources relating to the castle are known. In 1959, the archaeologist Rudolf Turek dated the fortification’s origin to the eleventh century from pottery fragments. He proposed that the hillfort, a fortified settlement defined mainly by earthworks and defensive enclosures, existed for only a short time during conflicts between Břetislav I, the eleventh-century duke of Bohemia, and Henry III, the German king who later became Holy Roman Emperor.
Turek also considered the site a possible location of the encounter known as the Battle of Brůdek. This proposed connection places Příkopy Castle within the context of military conflict in eleventh-century Bohemia, although the evidence does not establish the identification with certainty.
Later evidence and changing interpretations
Later investigations recovered pottery from the first half of the thirteenth century. These finds complicate the earlier dating and do not resolve when the fortification was built. Older research identified Příkopy as an early medieval hillfort, while other interpretations classify its remains as a transitional-type castle, a medieval fortification form between earlier hillforts and later castle designs.
One hypothesis regards Příkopy as a predecessor of neighbouring Rýzmberk Castle at Drslavice. If that interpretation is correct, Příkopy would belong among the oldest aristocratic castles in Bohemia. The ruins are protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic.
Remains
Příkopy Castle occupied a promontory on the northern slope of Kravař Hill, at approximately 650 metres above sea level. Its pentagonal plan was organized around a fortified outer area and a smaller castle core. The surviving substantial remains consist principally of earthworks, including ramparts and ditches.
Fortifications and castle core
Outer defenses and bailey
A double rampart and ditch enclosed the site. The southern part formed a bailey, an enclosed area within a castle complex that was separate from the more heavily defended inner core. To the north, the castle core had its own additional rampart and ditch, creating a second defensive enclosure.
Inner enclosure
The castle core measures approximately 38 by 22 metres. Earthwork traces within it mark the positions of vanished buildings, while a rampart-like remnant of the fortifications borders the core on its western and southern sides. Together, these earthworks preserve the basic relationship between the inner enclosure, the outer defenses, and the southern bailey.
