Návarov Castle

The ruins of the castle Návarov lie in the northeast part of the district of Jablonec nad Nisou, approximately seven kilometres from the Iron Brod, where the remnants of this important castle stand above the confluence of the Kamenice river and the Zlatnik stream. Archaeological findings show that the area was settled at the end of the 13th century, but the castle was built only in the middle of the 14th century, when Adam Heřman z Heřmanic appears in written records. His form was definitely formed by Jindřich of Návarova of the Valdštejn family, who acquired him in 1380 and became his first major owner.

The rotation of owners was a colorful reflection of the history of Central Bohemia. After Jindřich followed Jan Čúch ze Zásady, serving Czech king Wenceslas IV., then the castle became the property of other noble families. In 1469 he was conquered by the army of the Czech king Jiřík of Podebrad under the direction of John Zajé of Hazmburk. Since 1515 the castle became the property of the House of Smiřický, which held it for a century. In 1622, the Plololomountain confiscation became part of the property of Albrecht of Valdštejn, who then passed it as a year later as a fiery Getrude de Lamotte. It introduced strict anti-reform measures on the estate, which had major implications for the composition of the local population.

The actual demise of the castle dates back to the Thirty Years' War. In 1643 he was seduced by the Swedes after the brave defense of the crew under the leadership of Vincent de Lamotte, the son of the new owner. The Swedes settled in the castle and projected it as a base for the robbery of the area. When the Swedes left in 1644, they decided to demolish the governor in Prague by order of the castle so that he could not become a Swedish back-up point again. However, the demolished building stone was not thwarted - it was used about twenty years later in the construction of a nearby Baroque castle Návarov, which was built by Marie Angelika Lamottová z Frintroppu, married Nounkel. The Chapel of Ascension belonged to the castle.

The construction form of the castle speaks of its long development. It was probably a tower-free mansion with a mantle wall where the core was protected by a massive perimeter wall built on top of a rock on the north side. The entrance to the core was protected by a scenic gate, and the south side was closed by a park with outside fortifications. There were two buildings within the courtyard. After reaching the castle in 1469 additional fortifications were added using natural rock formations, with baskets strengthening the eastern part of the wall.

The ruin was subjected in 2019 to an overall preservation aimed at saving the cultural monument for future generations and its accessibility to the public. It is now accessible on a green marked tourist route leading from the Návarova settlement to the Kamenice Valley, where it connects to the blue-marked Palacký trail between the Floats and Držkov. The remains of the castle are open to visitors from the first week of April until the end of October, allowing visitors to become familiar with the rich past of this medieval fortification.