📜 Explore the historic ruins of Karpień Castle, a medieval stronghold on Karpiak hill (782m) in Poland's Golden Mountains.
🔍 Discover a site rich in history, once guarding vital trade routes and now a protected cultural monument, attracting tourists since the 18th century.
🏰 Wander through the remains of a 14th-century castle
🏞️ Enjoy scenic views from Karpiak hill
🚶♀️ Perfect for history enthusiasts and hikers
✨ Experience a site that has been a tourist destination since the 18th century, with early archaeological research dating back to 1885
🛡️ Founded in the early 14th century by the Glaubitz family to protect vital trade routes like the Salt Road
⚔️ Part of a local defensive system with Homole and Rychleby castles
👑 Owned by figures like Mersan von Parchwitz, Emperor Charles IV, and Jošt Moravský
🔥 Damaged by Hussites in 1428 and 1431, then conquered and destroyed in 1443 after its last lord, Knight Hynek Krušina, plundered the area
👤 Finally demolished in 1513 by Lądek townspeople and later used as a source of building material by locals
🚶♀️ Reachable by marked hiking trails from Lądek-Zdrój (approx. 3.1 km, 1-1.5 hours walk)
🗺️ From Javorník region: go around Tančírna to Černý kout, then to Karpień
🌲 From Zálesí: follow path around Stříbrný pramen (Silver Spring) to Koníček, then Černý kout, and cross the border to Karpień
🚧 As a ruin, expect limited facilities and uneven terrain
⚠️ No specific contact details, operating hours, or admission fees are provided
Free parking available at the end of Leśna street in Lądek-Zdrój, serving as a starting point for the hiking trails to the castle.