Czocha Castle

Czocha Castle stands in the settlement of Sucha, in the Leśna municipality, on the Leśna Reservoir on the Kwisa river, in the Polish part of Upper Lusatia. It is a fortified border castle, set on gneiss rocks of the Izera metamorphic complex, built of stone in the Renaissance style and entered on the register of immovable heritage monuments.

Construction and first owners

The castle was built as a border stronghold on the Silesian-Lusatian frontier, raised by the Silesian Piasts or by the Czech king Wenceslaus I Přemyslid. In 1253 it was captured by the Margraviate of Brandenburg and handed to the Bishop of Meissen. In 1319 the castle passed as a dowry to the Duchy of Jawor, and in 1346 it was taken over by Bolko II the Small. After 1392 it came within the borders of the Bohemian Crown. It was successively ruled by the knightly families von Dohn and von Klüks, and from the mid-15th century, for nearly two and a half centuries, by the von Nostitz family. In 1427 the Hussites unsuccessfully besieged the castle; it was captured only by a separate expedition.

The oldest part and layout

The oldest part of the castle is the keep standing by the main gates - there are two, an older lower one and a newer upper one. The keep was later surrounded by a residential wing, of which the northern fragment is the oldest. The castle was entered on the heritage register twice, in 1960 and in 2002, and its dating in the register points to the 16th century, though the building's origins go back to the 13th-14th centuries.

A new owner and rebuilding

In 1909 the castle was bought by Ernst Gütschow, a cigar manufacturer from Dresden. Between 1912 and 1920 it was rebuilt by the Berlin architect Bodo Ebhardt. Gütschow lived at the castle until March 1945. After the Second World War the building came within Poland's borders, was repeatedly stripped of its furnishings, and part of the bibliophile collection went to Wrocław as part of restitution efforts. From 1952 it housed a classified Military Holiday Home.

The castle today

Since September 1996 the castle has been open to the public as a hotel and conference centre, run by a company belonging to the Military Property Agency. Scenes for a number of films were shot here, including "Where Is the General?", "The Valley of Happiness", "The Witcher", "Legend", "Beyond Sherwood Forest" and "The Factory of Evil", as well as the series "The Cipher Fortress Mystery", "Two Worlds", "Holy War" and "First Love".

Nearby

The castle lies on the Leśna Reservoir, in the Leśna municipality, in the rural area of Lubań County. In the same municipality is Ernst Gütschow's hunting lodge, and right by the castle is the Outer Bailey Museum. Those looking for other castles in the region can visit Rajsko Castle or plan a ride at the Izery Stud Farm.

Practical information

• Village: Sucha, Leśna municipality, Lubań County, on the Leśna Reservoir, on the Kwisa river.
• Visiting: the castle offers guided tours during the day, with opening times changing seasonally - check the current hours and tour format on the official website before visiting.
• The building today serves as a hotel and conference centre, so some rooms may be unavailable to visitors at a given time.