Wałbrzych - Stary Książ Castle

State of preservation:		The ruins have remained of the castle
Admission:		The entrance to the ruins is free
Parking:		There is no parking lot nearby
Searching difficulty:		Finding this site is very difficult, because it is hidden in the forest, and for the question about the castle the residents direct to Książ Castle
Access difficulty:		Through around 90% of the route the access to the castle is moderately gentle, but runs through the bumpy path, while the last 10% are the sharp climbs and descends. The total time of reaching is around 30 min.
Subjective rating:		Beautiful ruins

Driving directions:

Entering Wałbrzych the road no 35 from Świdnica on the very beginning of the town, opposite the first gas station (on the left) the road with no exit turns right into the detached house development. You need to drive downwards and at the junction turn right to the bridge into one more road without exit. Down this road reach church, park the car there and go right down the blue trail past the church. The trail leads up the dirt road first, and then up the forest border. As the blue trail links with the green one, you need to go through the forest following the green trail, up the hill to the castle.
From Stary Książ well visible is Książ Castle, which in a straight line is distant merely at around 800 m. However, both castles are separated by a deep valley.


Historical outline:

The former name: Alt Fürstenstein

Although it is hard to believe, 'the discovery' of Stary Książ Castle was not made until the years of 1991-1992. Till that time it was thought that local ruins were the remainder of the building from the XVIIIth cent. As a result of thorough explorations it turned out, however, that already at the turn of the IXth and Xth cent. the castle existed there, which at the turn of the XIIIth and XIVth cent. was converted into the brick castle. The stronghold, however, was not used too long, since probably at the end of the XVth cent. was abandoned. But around 1794 the remainders of the castle were converted into the romantic residence on the orders of duke Hans Heinrich VI Hochberg.




Pictures:




Nearest castles:

Jawor

Wiadrów

Lipa

Pastuchów

Kłaczyna

Domanice

Świny

Piotrowice Świdnickie

Bronów

Bolków

Krasków

Płonina

Panków

Bagieniec

Cisy Castle (of the Cis family)

Świdnica

Wałbrzych

Kamienna Góra

Czarny Bór

Zagórze Śląskie

Grzędy (Wojaczów)

Wałbrzych

Pieszyce (Rościszów)

Grzmiąca

Rybnica Leśna

Mieroszów