Castle Bolczów

About

The Bolcz Castle (German: Bolzenschloss, later Bolkoschloß, Bolzenstein) is a castle with fragments of natural rock walls in Poland, located about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Jelenia Góra, in the northern part of the Rudawy Janowickie, on a rocky, granite protrusion, about 561 metres (1,841 ft) above sea level.

The establishment of the castle in 1375 is attributed to a courtier of Duke Bolko II from the Bolcz family. The builder of the castle, Clericus Bolze, supported the Hussite movement and the castle became a nest of raubriters. In the first half of the 15th century it was destroyed during a battle between the townsfolk of Wrocław and Świdnica and the Hussites. The castle was rebuilt by Hans Dippold von Burghaus in 1517–1518. A courtyard was created at that time, with a defensive tower in the southern corner and a number of embrasures in the walls. The castle changed owners one by one - in 1537-1543 it belonged to Justus Decius of Kraków, a courtier and secretary to the Polish king Sigismund the Old. In the years 1520-1550 the castle was expanded again; a stone wall was erected in front of the gate tower, a bastion was built, and a dry moat was constructed. The walls...