Old Książ Castle in Wałbrzych

For most of the 20th century Old Książ (Stary Książ) was thought to be a sham ruin – a folly invented for the Hochberg family's romantic park. Only archaeological research in the 1990s confirmed that beneath the 18th-century "stage set" lie the walls of a real castle built by Duke Bolko I the Strict in the late 13th century. Today the ruins above the Pełcznica gorge are a walking destination in the lesser-known part of the Książ estate in Wałbrzych.

History: from a Piast stronghold to a romantic stage set

The first fortified settlement on the hill above the Pełcznica gorge probably dates from the 9th or 10th century. In the late 13th century Duke Bolko I the Strict built a stone castle here and in 1290 moved his seat to it from Lwówek Śląski. A rock-cut moat 20 m wide and 4.5 m deep separated the upper castle from the outer bailey. The castle lost its importance after 1392, was captured by the Hussites in 1428, later became a base for robber knights and was destroyed in 1484.

In 1509 the ruins were bought by the Hochberg family, owners of nearby Książ Castle. In 1794–1797 Hans Heinrich VI von Hochberg commissioned the architect Christian Wilhelm Tischbein to turn the remains into a picturesque mock-Gothic ruin, part of the landscape park around the residence. The new "old castle" was given a moat, a wall and a gate flanked by two turrets, and was built partly with Renaissance and Baroque details brought from the castle at Trzebień.

A restaurant, a tournament and a fire

The romantic ruin was far from empty. Until the end of the Second World War it housed a restaurant with four guest rooms, and the interiors displayed items from the Hochberg museum – the rooms included a grand hall, an armoury, a courtroom and even a torture chamber. On 19 August 1800 the courtyard of Old Książ hosted the last Silesian knights' tournament, held in honour of the Prussian royal couple. Visitors included Karl May, the author of "Winnetou". In summer 1945 the building burnt down after being set on fire by Soviet troops.

What to see

What survives are the walls of the main building with its room layout still readable, fragments of the tower, two Renaissance portals, part of the gallery leading to the chapel, and the chapel walls with the remains of its tower. Below the chapel was a dungeon dating back to the medieval castle. The ruins stand on a rocky hill above the Pełcznica, which over a stretch of about 2 km cuts ravines up to 80 m deep. From around the ruins you look out over the gorge, the forests and towards Książ Castle.

Tripto tip

Old Książ is an open-air ruin with no ticket office or opening hours. You reach it on foot along marked trails through the Przełomy pod Książem nature reserve – the Hochberg Path is about 4.5 km long and runs through the Pełcznica gorge from Wałbrzych or Świebodzice. The terrain is wooded, steep in places and unsuitable for pushchairs, so wear comfortable shoes. Stay on the trail within the reserve, keep dogs on a lead and allow 2–3 hours for the whole walk.