Kost (hrad)

Kost is a Gothic castle in the Bohemian Paradise, in the Podkost cadastral area of the village of Libošovice in the Jičín district of the Hradec Králové region. It is protected as a cultural monument and ranks among the best-known castles in the entire area. It was founded around the mid-14th century, and its first documented owner was Beneš III of Vartenberk.

Kost remained with his descendants until the early 15th century, when it passed to the Zajíc family of Hazmburk, for whom it became an important family seat until 1497. During the first half of the 16th century the lords of Šelmberk and of Biberstein held the castle in turn, significantly expanding its living quarters. The Lobkowicz family followed, and under them the castle ceased to serve as a noble residence and began to decay.

The neglected castle was bought in 1637 by the Czernin family of Chudenice, who for roughly the next hundred years carried out only the maintenance needed to keep the estate running. From 1738 the castle belonged to the Netolický family of Eisenberg, from whom it passed to the Kinsky dal Borgo family — an Italian branch of an originally Bohemian count's family. In 1945 the castle was nationalized, but after the Velvet Revolution the Kinsky descendants got it back. This rich history is still reflected today in the well-preserved masonry.

Kost stands in a picturesque valley, its dominant feature the massive Gothic core, at once defensive and residential in character. The castle pairs beautifully with walks around the surrounding ponds, forests and rocks of the Bohemian Paradise. If you plan a stay in the region with lodging nearby, you'll have time both to tour the castle and to wander the valley at leisure — without rushing, taking in the atmosphere of a place that has survived for centuries.