Hazmburk Castle

Hazmburk castle occupies a commanding basalt hill, with its layout stretching over 170 meters from west to east and narrowing to about 30 meters across. The fortress is arranged in two distinct sections: the Upper Castle at the summit and the Lower Castle on the hill’s slope below. This arrangement took advantage of the natural topography, enhancing the castle’s defensive capabilities.

The Lower Castle’s most imposing feature is the Black Tower, approximately 25 meters tall and constructed from dark basaltic rock called bazanite. This round tower, with walls nearly 2 meters thick and a diameter close to 9 meters, includes a recessed masonry belt two-thirds up its height that once supported a wooden walkway. Entry to the tower was only possible on the first floor through a modest doorway, likely connected by a wooden gallery to an adjacent residential palace now lost to time. Surrounding walls and some ramparts still survive, though the details of other buildings in this area remain unexplored by archaeological digs.

Moving upward, the Upper Castle crowns the hilltop and is enclosed by a curtain wall equipped with battlements and a defensive walkway. The roughly rectangular courtyard inside features rounded corners and was isolated from the Lower Castle by a moat, crossed by a wooden bridge that included a lifting section for added security. Here, three palace buildings hug the inside of the curtain wall, with the oldest and largest located on the southern side. Against this palace wall lies a stone cistern designed for water storage, crafted from squared masonry, incorporating a funnel-shaped inlet and a bulbous, bottle-shaped reservoir below. By the 15th century, the castle’s courtyard was heavily built-up, leaving the area around this cistern as the only open space.

Dominating the Upper Castle complex is the White Tower, a rectangular keep standing about 26 meters high. The tower’s lower section is dark, while its upper third contrasts strikingly with lighter blocks of chalk sandstone. It features battlements and served both defensive and residential purposes. Today, the White Tower has been restored and functions as a prominent lookout from the hilltop.

Access within the Upper Castle prioritized defense; all main buildings, including the White Tower, could be reached only from the first floor and were connected by a series of wooden galleries and bridges. This design helped protect inhabitants by limiting ground-level entry points.

On the southeastern slope of the hill, the fortified settlement of Podhradí once stood, enclosed by a wall rising as high as 4 meters, punctuated by two gates, a tower, and a bastion. This settlement included a church dedicated to Saint Nicholas which replaced the castle’s chapel and survived until the early 19th century before falling into ruin. The remnants of its enclosure and structures reflect its role in supporting the castle’s garrison and community.

The slopes of the castle hill have experienced notable landslides during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, events that destroyed homes in the nearby village of Klapý. Despite these natural challenges, many of the castle’s walls and towers still stand, offering visible testimony to its once formidable presence. The precise phases of construction, as well as how the Upper and Lower Castles relate chronologically, await further archaeological study to be fully understood.