Castles
Czocha Castle above the Leśniańskie Lake is history written in layers. The stronghold on gneiss rocks above the Kwisa river was built in 1241–1247 as a border fortress on the Silesian-Lusatian march; a document from 1329 already names it castrum Caychow. Today it is a hotel set in castle chambers and one of the region's most film-friendly locations.
The castle changed hands constantly: captured by the Margraviate of Brandenburg as early as 1253, it belonged to the von Nostitz family from 1451 to 1700. In the early 15th century the Hussites besieged it without success; in 1427 Czirnin's force took it, but the stronghold was soon retaken. In 1847 the writer Józef Lompa described Czocha as a "dilapidated castle".
The revival came in 1909, when the Dresden cigar manufacturer Ernst Gütschow bought the ruins for 1.5 million marks, and in 1912–1920 the Berlin architect Bodo Ebhardt rebuilt the castle to match a 1703 engraving. It is often claimed that an Abwehr cipher school operated here during World War II, though no evidence supports this. After the war, Greek refugees kept farm animals in the knights' hall, and from 1952 the building housed a military holiday centre — for those years the castle vanished from the maps.
Open to the public since September 1996, Czocha now operates as a hotel and conference centre. Guided tours lead through narrow corridors, towers and hidden passages — adding an overnight stay in one of the chambers is worth it. In winter and summer school holidays the castle fills with themed camps, and film buffs will recognise the sets of "The Witcher" and the series "Spellbinder". Allow 1.5–2 hours for the tour.
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