Zámek Skalka

Vlastislav, Czechia, Czech Republic (Czechia)

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Zámek Skalka is a historic castle complex in the village of Vlastislav near Lovosic in the Litoměřice District of the Ústí nad Labem Region in northern Czechia, consisting of a 14th-century castle ruin and a baroque castle built at its foot in the late 17th century.

The original noble castle was founded in the 14th century near an old Slavic fortification and served as the seat of the Lords of Skalka until it was devastated and burned by Swedish troops in 1639 during the Thirty Years' War, after which it was never rebuilt. From the medieval castle, only a light cylindrical tower called Hladomorka (the starvation tower) remains, which stands on a rocky outcrop above the village and was originally a Bergfrit-type defensive tower that reportedly served as a prison and torture chamber, with 17th-century prisoner inscriptions still visible in its basement.

The baroque Zámek Skalka was constructed in the second half of the 17th century using stone from the ruined castle by the Hrzán of Harasov family and now serves as the village's main landmark, housing exhibitions on Český středohoří castles, local beekeeping, regional photography, and the history of Slavic fortifications.

The castle has been protected as a cultural monument since 1964, is owned by the municipality of Vlastislav since 2001, and is open to visitors seasonally from May to October, offering easy access directly by the road with a viewpoint below the tower providing views of Košťálov Castle, the surrounding Český středohoří hills, and the majestic Milešovka peak.