Borotín Castle ruins
The ruins, which are called Borotín or sometimes Starý zámek [Old Castle], are among the most romantic in all of Toulava. It featured in the fairy tale Honza málem králem [Honza Almost Becomes King], and even Karel Hynek Mácha dreamed up his ideas there.
Of the castle, only parts of the towers, and the remains of the old and new palace and gate, have survived until today. The actual remains of the medieval water castle rise proudly from a rocky hillock near the town of Borotín; it’s surrounded from three sides by the Starozámecký [Old Castle] and Babinec ponds.
The place therefore has a unique atmosphere full of wild turmoil, mysterious tales and romantic whims, which you can come and enjoy by bicycle, for example.
Before the impregnability of the 14th century fortress gave way to conquerors‘ successful raids, Borotín Castle played an important guard function on the local land route from South Bohemia to Prague.
free
availability / admission
Contact
starosta@borotin.cz
+420 381 285 815
all year round
when to visit?
How to get there?
The distance from Monínec is 11 kilometres. From Monínec, set off on foot or by bicycle through Ounuz and Cunkov to Jistebnice, famous for the Jistebnice cancional. There’s a romantic fountain in the square. After Jistebnice, we continue to Ludvíkov and Vesec. We pass herds of deer in the enclosure on the right, and continue through Kostelec to Borotín, from where J. E. Kypta’s educational trail leads all the way to the ruins. If you want to make the return journey a little shorter, you can take a bus to Jistebnice, which is 8km away. And if you don’t want to walk from Jistebnice either, you can change buses and continue to the town of Sedlec-Prčice, just 4.5 kilometres away.
