Mladoboleslavsko

Valdštejn Castle was founded around 1260 by Jaroslav of Hruštice of the Markvartice family. It was abandoned at the end of the 15th century; later, it burned down, and the ruined castle was rebuilt by the Valdštejn family, who owned it for another 200 years following Albrecht von Wallenstein. In the 18th century, they built an extraordinary pilgrimage site here with a unique atmosphere. The new owners, the Lex family of Aehrenthal, continued this effort in the first half of the 19th century. They connected the landscape with a network of hiking trails, built lookout points, and established the Sedmihorky spa. As an interesting tourist destination, they made Valdštejn Castle one of the first historical sites in the Czech Republic to be opened to the public.

Even the entrance bridge captivates visitors with its gallery of Baroque statues of Czech patron saints. In the first courtyard, you can peek into a small chapel; the castle’s Classicist building offers a tour of the Ceremonial Hall and a salon featuring a portrait gallery of the last owners, the Lex family of Aehrenthal. The dungeon is also a point of interest. You can also visit the Church of St. John of Nepomuk, which has been a new landmark of the castle since the 18th century. The rock cellars and the medieval castle icehouse are also accessible. You can also explore the site on your own without a guide (80% of the grounds are open to visitors). 

During renovations in the 19th century, a lookout point offering views of Trosky and the nearby rock town was built at the far end of the castle. Beautiful views of the surrounding landscape are also available from other parts of the castle.

The parking lot (including for buses) is approximately 1 km from the castle along the green hiking trail.