Helfštýn Castle

Helfštýn (Helfenstein) is one of the largest castles in Central Europe. It is dominated by the Hussite Tower with an observation deck, and the Medieval Palace. During the recent redevelopment, the palace was equipped with a unique, modern roof, and thanks to it and newly-built footbridges, the upper storeys of the palace have been opened up, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape of the Moravian Gate Valley.

According to a local legend, Helfštýn was named after a robber-knight, Helfried of Linava. The castle was probably founded in the last quarter of the 13th century. The main redevelopment into a Gothic fortress took place at the turn of the 14th century. Roughly a century later, during the rule of the House of Pernštejn (Pernstein), the castle was perfected by the construction of bastions and a new system of towers and gates. The inner core of the castle was rebuilt into a Renaissance residence at the turn of the 16th century, when a monumental palace was added that was in stark contrast with the extensive system of late-Gothic fortifications. In 1656, relatively extensive demolition took place, leaving Helfštýn definitely deprived of its character of a perfectly defended castle. This started the long-term dilapidation, accelerated by further demolition work ordered by the then owners, the House of Dietrichstein, in the second half of the 18th century. Part of the inner castle was demolished in 1817 by artillery fire.

At present, the castle presents a fortress with six gates and a number of buildings and bulwarks from the 18th century. Due to a sensitive, yet daring redevelopment, the castle now features a unique system of footbridges, staircases, and roofs that enhance the experience during tours.

Various events take place at the castle throughout the year – from thematic tours to arts-and-crafts fairs. However, the most important event is the international meeting of artistic blacksmiths, Hefaiston, organised each year at the end of August. A number of artworks created during Hefaiston permanently adorn not only the castle itself, but also the nearby town of Lipník nad Bečvou.