Střekov Castle is a ruined castle in Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic, perched on a steep cliff about 100 meters above the Elbe. King John of Bohemia had it built in 1316 to guard a trade route to Germany and to collect duties on goods. Its 14th-century design includes semicircular bastions, possibly the first of their kind in Bohemia, and an arched bridge across a natural moat.
The bergfried, the palas and the castle walls survive. The Lobkowicz family acquired the castle in 1563 and held it until 1948, when it became state property. It was returned to them in 1990.
The castle was heavily damaged in the Thirty Years' War and the Seven Years' War, and it was abandoned as a military site by the late 18th century. Its castle inn, opened in 1830, still operates.
Comments