Sloup Hillfort

Sloup is a extinct rock castle on the southwest edge of the village Sloup in the district of Česká Lípa in the Liberec Region. The monument is significant thanks to the combination of medieval remains and baroque modifications. These include rock hermitages, chapel and terraces carved directly into stone.

The rock block was already inhabited in prehistoric times, as evidenced by archaeological findings of ceramics from eneolite, the time of the lužické culture and the time of the Latin era. In one of these periods there could have been a fort. The castle itself was probably built by Ronovs in the early 14th century. The first documented owner was Chenek of Lipé; after 1330 it was bought by relatives Berkové z Dubé.

The original layout of the castle is not exactly known because most of the buildings were wooden and eventually disappeared. The preserved remains consist of rooms carved into rocks, a famine house, a tank, hermit cells, a crosswalk and an underground chapel from 1693. There are also three artificial caves and terraces on the south and east side. A statue of a native Samuel Görner is visible on the gallery. It's a second replica of the original wooden original that the Prussians destroyed in 1866.

During the Hussite wars, the knight Mikeš Pancíř ze Smojna settled here, who was engaged in robbery expeditions to Lusatia. But after the siege and the burning of the castle, the army of Lusatia restored it within three years and continued in its expeditions. In 1471 the castle regained Berkové z Dubé. A major breakthrough occurred in 1639 during the Thirty Years' War, when the castle was destroyed by Swedish troops led by General Johan Banero. It hasn't been restored since. In 1679, Count Ferdinand Zrnata of Kokořov won the Sloup Manor and dedicated the rock grounds to hermit people. After his death in 1708, the construction works stopped, but the new owner of Stephen Wilhelm Oldřich had the terraces cut out. In 1780 the estate was taken over by Filip Josef Kinský, who modified the place to the cruise area for his guests. Rod Kinski stayed here until 1940. After the death of Augustus František Kinsky, the property was transferred to Wilhelm Emanuel Preysings and confiscated in 1945.

The rock served as a refuge for six hermit people. Among them was the builder Konstantin or painter Václav Rincholín, author of the local sun clock. As part of the Josephine reforms, the hermit was officially abolished in 1785 by imperial decree. In the 19th century the castle became a popular destination of noble trips; He was visited for example by future emperor Franz Joseph I. The romantic environment was also used for film production, for example in the fairy tale with the devils there are no jokes where the Baroque staircase in the rock hole served as a gateway to hell.

Currently, the building is protected as a cultural monument and managed by the Castelan Ivan Volman. Visitors can admire the views of the villages Sloup and Genov, the town of Nový Bor and the panorama of the Lusatian Mountains. The castle is best accessible by bus from Nové Bor, Bukovany or Sloup, or by walking from Nové Bor for approximately 3.5 to 4 km. Entry is charged and visiting season lasts from April to October.

Sloup Rock Castle represents a unique combination of natural phenomenon and human work across centuries. It's a place where medieval history meets the baroque mysticism of hermit life.