Andělská Hora Castle

A huge basalt rock with a castle (known as Andělská hora or Engelsburg, English: Angel Mountain,) on top is a landmark dominating the mildly undulating landscape before it enters the deep valley of the Ohře River. Nothing has been preserved from the original Reisenburg structure built at the turn of the 14th and 15th century and the only remains of the first reconstruction of the castle by the Šlik family in the 1430’s and 1440’s are the ruins of a prism-shaped tower.

Andělská hora The castle underwent a thorough reconstruction in Late Gothic style when in the possession of the Lords of Plavno at the turn of the 15th and 16th century. Most of the still visible remnants of the castle architecture come from this period. The old tower palace stood in the middle of the ellipsoid inner ward, which included another Renaissance building. A part of the inner ward fortification walls has not been preserved.

Andělská hora The access road was guarded by an outer ward surrounded by stone walls with a bastion and a gate. Another gate separated the outer ward and the inner ward courtyard. The original Gothic, variously shaped lining of loopholes has been preserved at several places. Renaissance reconstruction, which also included the building of a new palace and minor exterior renovations, did not alter the Gothic appearance of the castle.

Andělská hora The Černín family was in possession of the castle for the longest period of time, in particular from 1622 until 1734, and once again from 1868 until 1945. Once the estate seat and administration had been relocated to Kysibel in the late 16th century, the nobility soon moved to their new chateau and the castle began deteriorating. It was foraged by the Swedes during the Thirty Years War and its fate was ultimately sealed by a fire in 1718. In the 20th century, the castle ruins served as the set during the shooting of the film Balada pro banditu (Balad for a Bandit).