Skály (hrad, okres Žďár nad Sázavou) Castle ruin

Welcome to the top of the hill Štarkov. You're standing right where history meets nature and where every stone you see before you has its own story. At first glance you may be particularly interested in the calm and insight that this place offers you, but if you stop and listen to the silence, you may feel the weight of the centuries that have been experienced here. Before your eyes is the ruins of the Rock Castle. Even though today you see only fragments of something that once was a powerful fortress, these places have an incredible ability to draw attention to their resilience to survive time. Feel the atmosphere, feel the gentle breeze that moves between the rocks here, and try to imagine what this place looked like at the time of its greatest glory.

Let us now go back deep into the past together to understand why it was here, in this strategic place, that decided to build the castle. We have to move to the 14th century. This was the time when power in these countries was built through fixed points in the landscape, through castles that controlled the surrounding territory. Probably just around 1380 here Archleb z Kunštátu laid the first stones of this building. The House of Kunštát was at that time extremely important and their influence was felt throughout the area. The Castle of the Rock was not only built as a residence, but as a symbol of their position and as an instrument of control over the surrounding area. At that time, the existence of such a castle was a sign of stability and nobility, although the fate of the castle later developed quite differently than the founders could have wished.

Now pay attention to what you see right around you. Even though the castle does not exist as a whole today, its structure is still visible in the remains that remain here. Look at these walls. Even though they are now partly broken and partly overgrown, you can still feel the strength of the original structure. These walls were meant to protect and defend. Now, if you look towards the places where the remains of the towers are lifted, imagine how the guards used to watch out for them and how their eyes would balance between safety and danger. The towers were a key element of defense, a point where the entire surrounding area was controlled. Another important element you can see here is the remains of the tank. See this as proof of the technical balance and necessity at the time. At the top of a hill like Starkov, water was the most valuable commodity. Without the ability to keep water in the tank, the castle could not survive a short recovery or siege. This tank was the life of the castle.

But the history of this place is not just a story about stones and water, but especially about people, their ambitions and their mistakes. When you look at these debris, remember the names that were closely linked to this place. Other important members of the family, such as Erhard or the famous Žofka z Kunštátu, worked here alongside the founder of Arbey of Kunštát. They were people who formed a political map of their time. However, in the 15th century the situation around the castle began to change dramatically. In 1448 there was a major reversal in property law when Jan Tovačovský z Cimburka sold the castle to Vanek of Pernštejn. This transfer of ownership was not just a simple commercial transaction, but resulted in a period of constant legal disputes that the castle was subject to constant tension.

And this is where we get to the darkest part of the story, which explains why you're only seeing a ruin today. Instead of serving as protection for order and law, the castle became a place in the hands of its holders that was out of control. Instead of aristocratic dignity, there has been a growing form of robbery. The people who were to defend the castle became those who threatened the surrounding population and disturbed the peace of the region. This illegal way of life was so unsustainable that in 1456 the castle was decidedly taken. It was not an accidental collapse of the building, but a deliberate act to stop this illegal operation and to stop using the castle as a base for crimes. So what you see today is the result of a decision to restore order in this area.

The interesting thing is how the fate of this place turned after it was destroyed. Instead of building something new here, the castle gradually gave in to the power of nature. Today this whole site is protected as a natural monument. It is a fascinating paradox that a place that was once a symbol of human efforts for power, territorial control and military power is now protected precisely because it has become part of wild and undisturbed nature. The rocks now serve as a monument to human fleeting and also as a testament to the power of natural processes that eventually always fight their way back.

Now I beg you to continue your walk and let the atmosphere of this place drift. See the remnants of the walls from different angles, see the texture of the stone, and watch how the wall lines adapt to the gradient of the terrain. Remember, you are standing in a place that once had great weight in the history of this region. Thank you for choosing to visit the Rocks and pay attention to their history. We wish you a pleasant continuation in discovering the beauty of this landscape and we hope that this brief look into the past has helped you better understand what you are seeing in front of you. Goodbye.