Kašperk

Kašperk (German: Karlsberg) is a ruined castle in the Šumava foothills in the Klatovy district of the Plzeň region. It lies about 2.5 km northeast of Kašperské Hory, within the Kašperská vrchovina nature park. The ruin is protected as a cultural monument and is open to the public during visiting hours.

The castle was founded as a border fortress by King Charles IV in 1356. It remained under royal administration only until 1365, when the king pledged it to Jan Očko of Vlašim. Successive pledge-holders then took turns at the castle until it was abandoned in the early 17th century. They included, among others, Petr Zmrzlík of Svojšín and his son, the lords of Švamberk, and Zdeněk Konopišťský of Šternberk.

At the end of the 16th century the town of Kašperské Hory leased the castle, but the townsfolk cared more about the estate's income than about the castle itself, which consequently decayed. After the Thirty Years' War, when it became a source of building material, it quickly turned into a ruin. The castle's dominant core is a large palace ending in prismatic residential towers on both shorter sides, encircled by a wall. It is precisely this pair of towers that gives Kašperk its distinctive silhouette, visible from afar.

Kašperk rises above the forests of the Šumava foothills and ranks among the region's most beautiful castle ruins. The climb up to it is a rewarding hiking goal, rewarded with views over the surrounding countryside. The castle combines wonderfully with exploring Kašperské Hory and the wider Šumava area. If you plan your stay in the region with lodging nearby, you'll have time both to tour the castle and to wander the forests of the Kašperská vrchovina at leisure, without rushing.