Castle Lipnice nad Sazavou - Czech Republic, EUPosted by: 
Jarda315
N 49° 36.837 E 015° 24.836
33U E 529901 N 5495791
From baseline coordinates is beautiful view of the Havlickuv Brod.
Waymark Code: WM6YTF
Location: Kraj Vysočina, Czechia
Date Posted: 08/07/2009
Views: 129
The castle of Lipnice was established around 1310 by an important Czech aristocratic family - the Lords of Lichtenburg - who owned the nearby town of Havlickuv Brod, where silver used to be mined. The wealth coming from the silver mines enabled the Lichtenburgs to start building a much-needed seat for their family - Lipnice castle. The first documented mention of the castle dates back to 1314. During the 14th century, Lipnice often changed hands between various owners - always influential Czech noblemen or Czech kings - proof of its past significance.
After the Lichtenburgs, the next owner of Lipnice was King John of Luxembourg. In 1319, he exchanged Lipnice for the dominions of Zittau with the mighty aristocrat Jindrich of Lipa. Jindrich and his descendants held the castle until 1370. Under the rule of the Lords of Lipa, the first form of the castle was completed. At that time, the castle chapel and dining hall were built in the underground of the residential palace.
In 1370 the dominion passed to the possessions of the Czech King and Roman Emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg, who granted freedom to the town below the castle, and allowed the burghers to build protective walls around their town. In 1379 Lipnice was inherited by the Lords of Landstein. The Landsteins significantly contributed to the development of the castle by establishing a chapter at the castle chapel, and a school in the town. The testament of Wilhelm of Landstein ordered the appointment of a priest, who preached in the Czech language every Sunday. But the Landsteins of Lipnice unfortunately died out on the spear side, and Catherine of Landstein brought Lipnice in her dowry to Vincenc (Cenek) of Vartenberg. Vincenc held the most important function in the Czech Kingdom, and was also a keen follower of Master John Hus's teachings. After Hus was burned at the stake in 1415, he initiated the signing of a protest letter written by the Czech aristocracy and sent to the Council of Constance. In 1417 Vincenc made the first Hussite priests ordained in the castle chapel - an act, which made Lipnice an important place in Czech history.
From 1436 Lipnice was owned by the wealthy knightly family of the Trckas of Lipa. At the turn of the 15th and 16th century under Burian II Trcka of Lipa, Lipnice was adjusted into the form of a late gothic castle residence. The last of the Trcka family - Adam Erdman - reached military fame as a general in Wallenstein's cavalry. In 1634 he was murdered along with his commander in the Western-Bohemian town of Cheb for disloyalty to Emperor Ferdinand II von Habsburg. In 1636 the Emperor gave the Lipnice dominion to general Matthew Vernier de Rougemont. At the end of the Thirty Years' War in 1645 the castle was seized and occupied by Swedish troops. Habsburg general De Condé tried to take the castle back in 1646, but wasn't successful, and the Swedes remained there until the very end of the war. Although the castle was reconstructed after the war, it quickly lost the importance it once had, as well as its original function. The last substantial building activity related to baroque conversion of the castle chapel in the 1780's. During the following centuries, the castle gradually and uncontrollably fell into disrepair, and was used as a farming estate. In 1869 the castle burned down along with the town, and became a ruin.
Opening hours
* May, June - daily except Po 10 - 16h.
* July - August - daily except Po 9 - 18h.
* April - September - So, Ne, 10 - 16h.
* October - So, Ne, 10 - 16h.
* lunch break - 12- 13h.
fee
* adults - 60 Czk
* children, students, pensioners - 40 Czk
* family - 170 Czk
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Hrad Lipnice je jedním z nejmohutnejších ceských šlechtických hradu. Je vystaven na kopci nad mesteckem Lipnice nad Sázavou v Kraji Vysocina. Lipnický hrad byl založen kolem roku 1310, jednou z vetví starobylého ceského rodu Ronovcu - Lichtenburky. Tehdy byla okolní krajina jen málo kolonizovaná, ale Lichtenburkové zde meli u Nemeckého Brodu stríbrné doly a proto potrebovali vystavet hrad jako sídelní rezidenci a zároven vojenskou oporu v oblasti. Už od svého založení udivoval svou velkolepostí, která odrážela moc a bohatství jeho majitelu, ale zároven byl i dokonalou pevností. Hrad v Lipnici se stal kolem roku 1319 zástavou v boji o moc mezi králem Janem Lucemburským a ceskými šlechtici, z nichž nejvýznamnejší byli práve Ronovci. Jejich vudcem byl Jindrich z Lipé, který se nejdríve zástavou hradu vykoupil z králova zajetí, aby jej obratem získal zpet výmenou za Žitavsko. Poté co zchudl dostala se Lipnice do majetku Královské koruny.
Na konci 14.století koupil hrad Vilém z Landštejna. Na hrade byla založena kolegiátní kapitula - významná a na šlechtických hradech zcela neobvyklá církevní instituce. V hradní kapli sv. Vavrince byli v roce 1417 vysveceni první husitští kneží u nás. To už Lipnici vlastnil Cenek z Vartenberka, nejvyšší pražský purkrabí a prívrženec husitu. Po Cenkove smrti hrad spravoval hejtman Táborské jednoty Jan Smil z Kremže. Po nem hrad nakrátko vlastnil Oldrich z Rožmberku. Po nem se na více než sto let stali majiteli Trckové z Lípy. Za jejich vlády byl hrad pozdne goticky prestaven a rozšíren. Za dalších majitelu hrabat z Thurnu byl pak ve 2. polovine 16. století upraven renesancne. V posledních letech tricetileté války se hrad stal výchozí pozicí Švédu pro nájezdy do východních a jižních Cech. Švédové odešli až po uzavrení vestfálského míru roku 1648 nechali Lipnici zpustošenou. V té dobe vlastnil hrad burgundský šlechtic Matouš Verner. Sice se snažil o nutné opravy, ale postupný úpadek již nezastavil. Marná snaha byla i dalších majitelu Trauttsmandorffu. Hrad sloužil v té dobe pouze jako sídlo správy panského velkostatku. Byly zde kanceláre a sklady. To platilo do roku 1869 kdy zde vypukl nicivý požár a hrad se poté zacal menit ve zríceninu. Ve 20.století kdy je majetkem stát probehly rekonstrukcní práce.
Accessibility: Partial access
Condition: Partly ruined
Website: [Web Link]
Admission Charge?: Not Listed
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