Hasištejn Castle

Místo, Czechia, Czech Republic (Czechia)

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Hasištejn Castle is a Gothic fortress located near the village of Místo in Czechia, built in the early 14th century likely by Friedrich of Schönburg to guard an important route between Prague and Saxony.

The castle, mentioned in the 1348 Maiestas Carolina law code, was royal property and could not be sold by the monarch. In the early 15th century, it was seized by King Václav IV and given to Nicholas of Lobkowicz. The castle’s most famous inhabitant was Bohuslav Hasištejnský z Lobkovic, a poet and humanist who lived there from 1503 until his death in 1510.

He created a notable library attracting scholars including Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon. After Bohuslav’s death, the castle gradually fell into ruins, suffering further damage in a fire in 1560 and neglect exacerbated during the Thirty Years’ War. In the late 19th century, partial repairs allowed the tower to serve as a lookout.