Chojnik Castle

Chojnik Castle is the ruin of a Gothic stronghold on top of Mount Chojnik in the Karkonosze, at 627 metres above sea level, near Jelenia Góra-Sobieszów. On the south-eastern side of the mountain a 150-metre cliff drops down to Piekielna Dolina (Hell's Valley), and the castle itself lies within a strict protection area of the Karkonosze National Park.

Construction and first mention

The masonry stronghold was built in the 1350s, and the first written mention of it dates from 1364. Towards the end of that century the castle passed into the hands of the Schoff family, and from 1418 it became, for centuries, the property of the Schaffgotsch family.

Expansion over the centuries

In the 15th century a northern wing and a courtyard were added, in the 16th century the castle was reinforced with fortifications with firearm embrasures and decorated with sgraffito rustication on the facade, and towards the end of that century the tower was heightened with an octagonal section topped with an onion dome. In the 17th century its owner was Hans Ulrich von Schaffgotsch, a supporter of Emperor Ferdinand II, and after the Thirty Years' War the castle was recovered by Christoph Leopold von Schaffgotsch on condition that he converted to Catholicism.

Fire and ruin

On 31 August 1675, during a storm, lightning struck the castle. The resulting fire destroyed the upper castle and the top of the tower, and the building fell into ruin from which it was never fully rebuilt.

The legend of Kunegunda

The castle is linked to the legend of Princess Kunegunda, who set suitors a condition: she would give her hand to whoever, in full armour, ran around the castle walls. The story inspired, among others, Friedrich Schiller, Theodor Körner and Andrzej Sapkowski.

The ruin as a tourist attraction

Already in 1822 a guide-hire point was set up by the castle, and in 1860 one of the towers was adapted into a tourist shelter. After thorough renovations between 1963 and 1973, the castle was reopened to visitors in 1975, again with a shelter. Since 1991 crossbow tournaments for the Golden Bolt of Chojnik Castle have been held here, and in 2007 a monument was erected commemorating Karol Wojtyła's visit in 1956.

Practical information

• Height: 627 m above sea level, Mount Chojnik in the Karkonosze, near Jelenia Góra-Sobieszów
• Getting there: an ascent by trail to the summit of Mount Chojnik, the castle stands within the Karkonosze National Park
• Visiting the ruin with a viewing tower and an inn at the entrance; check the exact opening hours and prices on the castle's website before visiting