Lichnice (Lichtenburg) Castle Ruins

 castle, ruins, Medieval / Middle Ages

This at present imposing power and spacious castle was built in 1250 on the top of Svetlik hill (svetlik means light -licht, without trees hill), protected from three sideways by steep slopes. The castle founder Smil of Zitava (Zittau) was a member of Czech clan Lords of Ronovics and wasa friend of the Czech King Ottokar I a Ottokar II, who till 1251 named himself Smil of Lichtenburg. The castle became main family residency of Lords of Lichtenburg. Emperor Charles IV. raised Lichtenburg as a Royal castle and Royal property in a special regime and lived here several years. The castle was so poserfull, that not even during the Hussite Wars or was never maintained. In 1610 Lichtenburg was burned to ground and fall into disrepair. Austrian Emperor Ferdinand III. ordered to demolish the castle ruins at all in 1648. The Castle has the own drink water source - 13 m deep well in the middle of courtyard.