Kost is one of the best preserved strongholds from the 14th century. There was filmed one of the series "Hannibal Rising". The castle is situated in the Bohemian Paradise that is the famous Geopark Protected by UNESCO. Come and see swampy meadows, lined with the rock walls, pictoresque cottages made of logs, little villages much-frequented by film people.
5 HOUR ROUND TRIP

A combination with Sychrov castle , Vintage Skoda car museum , Skoda car faktory , Novy Bor crystal factories , Melnik castle or Ajeto glassworks is available.





It is the impressive Gothic castle, towering on a sandstone rosk above the Black Pond (Cerny rybnik) and looking downward to the Plakanek valley.
Built in the 14th century during the lifetime of Petr Vartenberk, a member of the powerful Markvartic aristocratic family, Kost is one of the best preserved castles in Bohemia. In the 1680s, Kost escaped the Imperial order to demolish fortified castles. Even the Hussite leader Jan Zizka of trocnov (1370-1424) attemp to take the castle had been repelled. Its prismatoid tower has an unusual trapezoid ground-plan, which makes it possible to see all its four edges. Its irregular shape was part of the defence system. Kost is one of the most visited castles in the Bohemian Paradise.
The castle Kost was returned back to the original owners - the noble family Kinsky dal Borgo, brothers Giovanni and Pius - in 1993.
Originated after 1371; its builder was probably Peter of Wartenberg. After him Kost was acquired by the Hasenburgs and after them by the Schellenbergs palazzo Schellenberg. Jan of Biberstein, added behind the first gate the "renaisance" wing with the big kitchen. Under Krystof Popel of Lobkowicz in 1576 originated the whole southern part of the Castle with the brewery. The plan of Albrecht of Waldstein to redesign Kost into a country home and at the same time to remain a stronghold, was interrupted by his death in 1634. In 1635 a part of the Castle was destroyed by fire after which it ceased to be inhabiteted by the proprietors. The Czernins of Chudenicz changed, at the end of the 17th cent., the gothic palace with the appartments into a granary. The Castle suffered durning the 30-years-war and was to be destroyed. After 1867 it was in part reconverted in neogothic style.

The Castle is dominated by the angular White Tower, five storeys high, the south-eastern part pointing towards the Plakánek valley. The tower is a part of the battlements erected from stone blocks. It was destined to the defence. The mansarde roof dates only from the 18th century. The Castle further has a smaller cylindrical tower of the end of the 14th century close to the main gate. From the enrance one acceeds through 3 gates to the arkades of the Biberstein Palace to the internal courtyard which is surrounded by the tower Palace, the Castle Chapel, the unfinished Waldstein sala-terrena, the White Tower, the old Palace with the cylindrical tower and the Schellenberg Palace which bears a tablet with the Schellenberg coat of arms: a sows head and leave decorations. The internal Castle was protected by a strong wall with battlements with a bannister and some more external defenses on thedefge of the abyss.
Castle sightseeing tour is divided to two tours:
Kinsky house in Bohemia tour, see family portraits and pictures one of the eldest aristocratic houses.
Torture tour; see about penal law in 16th and 18th century.
Both tours take approx. 50 min.
Open:
April: weekends and Bank holidays: 9:00 - 11:30, 13:00- 15:30
May, June: daily except Monday: 9:00-11:30, 13:00-16:30
July, August: daily 9:00-18:00
September: daily except Monday 9:00-11:30, 13:00-16:30
October: weekends and Bank holidays: 9:00 - 11:30, 13:00- 15:30
There is a possibility to book for different times as well. Call us for booking.

The romantic Plakanek valley is near the village Strehom, visitors are welcomed by the klenice rivulet, flowing through the whole valley. Swampy meadows and lined with the rock walls. Water issues from several wells below the rocks.
Midway between the Kost castle and the town of Sobotka, a road branches off to the right, leading to the little village of Vesec, much-frequented by film people. There, Sobotka-type pictoresque cottages made of logs are built on a circular ground plan. Vesec has been a conservation site since 1977.
The pictoresque little town of Sobotka lies at the southern edge of the Bohemian Paradise. St. Mary Magdalene´s Church and two dozen houses made of logs and forming streets are the most valuable cultural heritage in the town.
Prachovske Rocks are covering the area of 187 hectars. Long geaological evolution, water and alternating temperatures participated in the emergence of the rock towns of the Bohemian Paradise. Fairy-tale rock configurations, deep ravines and canyons constitute the Prachovske rocks , a nature reserve.

N from Prague, 1,5 hour to drive
Trip:
1)Kost castle CNN5 - 5 hour round trip
Trips combinations:
2)Kost castle CNN5 + Zakupy chateau CN5 - 9 hour round trip
3)Kost castle CNN5 + Desna glassworks & Harrachov glassworks & Glass museum & Microbrewery CNN1 - 9 hour round trip
4)Kost castle CNN5 + Frydlant castle CNN8 - 9 hour round trip
5)Kost castle CNN5 + Zakupy chateau CN5 + Desna Glassworks & Desna glassworks & Harrachov glassworks & Glass museum & Microbrewery CNN1 - 11 hour round trip
6)Kost castle CNN5 + Desna glassworks & Harrachov glassworks & Glass museum & Microbrewery CNN1 + Frydlant castle CNN8 - 11 hour round trip
7)Kost castle CNN5 + Sychrov castle CNN2 - 8 hour round trip
8)Kost castle CNN5 + Detenice castle and brewery CNN5 - 8 hour round trip
9)Kost castle CNN5 + Hruby Rohozec castle CNN7 - 8 hour round trip
10)Kost castle CNN5 + Sychrov castle CNN2 + Detenice castle and brewery CNN5 - 10 hour round trip
11)Kost castle CNN5 + Sychrov castle CNN2 + Hruby Rohozec castle CNN7 - 10 hour round trip
12)Kost castle CNN5 + Detenice castle and brewery CNN5 + Hruby Rohozec castle CNN7 - 10 hour round trip
13)Kost castle CNN5 + Ajeto glassworks N7 - 8 hour round trip
14)Kost castle CNN5 + Novy Bor crystal factories CN3 + Ajeto glassworks CN8 - 10hour round trip
15)Kost castle CNN5 + Novy Bor crystal factories CN3 - 8hour round trip
16)Kost castle CNN5 + Ajeto glassworks CN8 - 8hour round trip
17)Kost castle CNN5 + Vintage Skoda car museum CNE1 - 8hour round trip
18)Kost castle CNN5 + Skoda car faktory CNE2 - 8hour round trip
19)Kost castle CNN5 + Vintage Skoda car museum CNE1+ Skoda car faktory CNE2 - 9hour round trip

Our popular tours are outlined on our web sites:
www.private-tours.net
www.private-tours.cz
jewish.tourstoprague.com