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Divchy Kamen is a gothic medieval castle built on a rocky hill near the city of Cesky Krumlov . Today, only ruins remained from him, on which excavations are still going on. Divchi-Kamen is interesting because it reflects several eras, as it was created over two centuries.
Building a castle
Its name is Divci-Kamen received from the cape on which it is located. At a time when it was decided to erect a fortress, the hill was surrounded by the Vltava River, which made the place ideally suited for construction. The princes who created the castle did not even bother that this place was already occupied - the peasants lived there in stone houses. The tenants were expelled, and the buildings were destroyed. Their ruins were preserved on the north-eastern slope of the hill.
The castle complex itself was built long enough:
- The Northern Palace - 1350-1360 gg. The building was two-story and represented a residential center in Divchi-Kamen. At the same time, ditches around the castle were dug.
- The eastern palace and stone walls - in 1383 it was a large palace in three floors with a chapel. The walls served as a defense for the fortress.
- Watchtower and latron - the beginning of the XIV century. The Barbican, that is the name of the watchtower, was built after the erection of the castle walls, and the later was built the later long street that led from Divchi-Kamen to the city.
The North and East palaces adjoined the castle wall and were 25 m apart. Thanks to this, the fortress had a spacious courtyard, reliably hidden from prying eyes. The eastern palace had a luxurious interior: on each floor, except the last, there were three rooms with wooden ceilings and windows, and on the third there was a huge hall with an arch in the outer wall. She allowed to see the whole chapel and most of the park.
What is interesting Divya-Kamen?
The castle was abandoned at the end of the XVI century, when Peter IV of Rozmberk considered its content too expensive. As soon as Divchi-Kamen was left without owners, local peasants began to disassemble it for the construction of their own houses. This is one of the few Czech castles that do not accompany the heroic stories of the long sieges, but without it it is of great interest for both historians and tourists. The last is to know that this is also the biggest castle in Bohemia, and even its ruins look mighty.
Today in the territory of Divchi-Kamen excavations are conducted. Archaeologists continue to find and restore the ruins of stone peasant houses of the 13th-14th centuries. The rest of the castle is open to visitors. You can learn the ruins of the fortress, both independently and with a guide.
How to get there?
Get from Cesky Krumlov to Divchy-Kamen can be reached by car along the road 1439, the road will take about 25 minutes. Also from the railway station Cesky Krumlov an electric train is sent to Trisov. From the station to the castle is 1.8 km. This way can be overcome both on foot and by taxi.