Volfštejn Castle - The Oldest Castle in the Tachov Region

History of Volfštejn Castle

Foundation of the Castle - First Half of 13th Century

The castle was built in the first half of the 13th century on the southeastern promontory of Wolf Mountain near the road leading from Plzeň through Stříbro and Planá to Cheb. Only the round tower can be reliably attributed to the oldest construction phase, whose affiliation with late Romanesque architecture is documented by the entrance portal.

During dendrochronological research of scaffolding found during repairs of the great tower, it was determined that the ash trees used for construction were felled between 1260-1262. The portal in the great tower is framed by a stone-carved arched molding that appears in 1220-1240 on a number of churches in Bohemia.

First Mention Connected with Murder - 1316

The first written mention of Volfštejn dates from 1316, when the castle belonged to Bened of Volfštejn. That year, he sued Dluhomil and Bedřich of Brod in the land court for murdering his father Ctibor of Volfštejn. The murderers were sentenced to a fine of 600 marks of silver.

The Lords of Volfštejn Dynasty

The Lords of Volfštejn were relatives of the Lords of Svojšín and the Lords of Třebel. Their coat of arms featured horizontal stripes, and their crest was a wolf's head, or sometimes a whole wolf. In the second half of the 14th century, the brothers Protiva, Beneda, and Ctibor of Volfštejn belonged to their family.

The last mention of Bened is from 1360, and for the next almost forty years, the castle does not appear in historical sources. Only in 1396 was Oldřich of Volfštejn its owner, who exercised patronage rights to the Černošín church.

Hussite Wars and Vilém of Volfštejn

At the beginning of the 15th century, the castle belonged to brothers Vilém and Bened of Volfštejn. During the Hussite Wars, Vilém stood on the Catholic side and received numerous estates as collateral from Emperor Sigismund for his services. In 1415, he obtained part of Buben castle near Touškov as collateral from Heřman of Nečtin.

According to legend, Vilém of Volfštejn and Jan Žižka were friends from the time when both served at the royal court in Prague. When Vilém, as a devoted Catholic, sided with Sigismund, they parted on bad terms. The Hussites reportedly conquered the castle and captured Vilém's son. Vilém and his daughter Ludmila escaped through a secret passage to the Mže River valley. Years later, Žižka returned, found Vilém, and returned his son - the lord of Volfštejn then honored the old friend until his death.

Move to Třebel and Castle's Demise

In 1437, Vilém transferred his estates to his sons Ctibor, Vilém, and Jan of Volfštejn. In 1460, Jan received the nearby Třebel castle as collateral. According to the agreement, Třebel was to be redeemed after twenty years, but this never happened, and the castle thus remained with the Lords of Volfštejn. Jan began using the title of Třebel in 1461, and Volfštejn became part of the Třebel estate.

According to Tomáš Durdík, Volfštejn was destroyed during battles between the Unity of the Green Mountain and King George of Poděbrady at the end of 1470. In 1527, some unclear meeting of brothers Jiří and Šebestián of Banbach was supposed to take place at Volfštejn - on that occasion, the castle was described as deserted.

Castle Architecture - Saxon-Hessian Type

Volfštejn typologically falls into the so-called bergfrit layout castles, which is the most common form of noble castles from the second half of the 13th century. The small castle architecturally followed the Saxon-Hessian principle. Although the age of individual buildings is unclear, the castle as a whole was not significantly reconstructed, and the preserved remains thus reflect its medieval appearance.

The castle has an almost oval floor plan in the shape of a lens cut on one side. At the front of the layout stands the round bergfrit, on the opposite side of the castle stood the palace. At the eastern rampart below the tower stood a partially preserved two-room building, and opposite it a tower-like structure with a square floor plan. The main gate with a drawbridge, guarded by an adjacent prismatic structure, breached the southwestern part of the rampart. The entire core was surrounded by a bergfried wall with a moat.

What the 3D Model of Volfštejn Castle Offers

Practical Information for Visitors

Volfštejn Castle is freely accessible year-round. The castle can be reached via a yellow-marked hiking trail from Černošín (approx. 2 km) or via a green trail through the forest from the Ošelín railway station. The path is a pleasant forest walk with a gentle incline that you can manage without problems.

Before the majestic stone tower appears among the trees, you'll pass through a clearing with tall grass where deer and other forest wildlife often hide. Through the former drawbridge gate, you'll enter the manor courtyard, where you'll see the semi-ruined walls of the castle palace on your right. The castle has won the hearts of volunteers from the Society for the Rescue of Volfštejn Castle, who have been gradually carrying out minor masonry repairs since 1992.