Czocha Castle in Leśna. Secrets of the fortress on the border of Lusatia and Silesia. History vs Legends!

Name: Czocha Castle
Rating: 4.7

Czocha Castle in Leśna is available for tourists all year round for a fee
Courtyards can be visited independently, chambers only with a guide
There is a restaurant and hotel on site

Czocha Castle is a gothic stronghold that evokes a lot of emotions and a colossal impression! Is this the most mysterious castle in Poland? Certainly one of the most beautiful. It hides at the western end of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Do not miss it when visiting the attractions of this part of Poland! The dark walls are shrouded in legends, but they're not, and the real stories are more exciting here. Step into an unfathomable castle full of still undiscovered puzzles that has delighted from the Middle Ages to the present day. These are not empty words, because in 2012 National Geographic Traveler chose this castle as one of the 7 new wonders of Poland. The facility offers not only a fascinating sightseeing, but you can also spend the night here, like the aristocracy, in interesting themed rooms.

Location of Czocha Castle. Access and parking in Leśna

Czocha Castle stands in the small village of Sucha, in the municipality of Leśna. The walls of the castle miraculously rise on the rock above the surface of the water of Lake Leśnieńskie, which was created by damming the waters on the Kwisa River. It is home to the oldest hydroelectric power plant in Europe, working on original machines from the era! This is the Lusatian land, although its edge, on the border of Lusatia and Silesia. The stronghold is located in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, about 12 km south of Lubań and 40 km west of Jelenia Góra.

There is a small car park at the castle and large parking lots by the road, right next to it. From Wrocław, you can get here in 2 hours, first on the A4 motorway, and then through Złotoryja, Lwówek Śląski and Gryfów Śląski to Leśna, or from the 296 motorway to Lubań and Leśna. In winter, the road through Lubań will probably be more worn out.

Tour of Czocha Castle. Castle chambers, secret passages and tunnels

The medieval walls of Czocha Castle, the courtyard and its interiors can be visited by tourists throughout the year. From the outside, you can do it yourself, although for a fee, while you can only enter the chambers with a guide. What is unique is the historical sightseeing full of facts and stories and atmospheric night sightseeing, when the stronghold acquires an even greater aura of mystery. And there is something to talk about and what to show. Although the castle was looted after the war, we were delighted by its sightseeing and the atmosphere of this place and the original interior design elements certainly deserve attention.

Secret passages

The great curiosities of Czocha Castle are the secret passages. They are a remnant of the great reconstruction of the castle, which was carried out by the architect Bodo Ebhardt at the request of the owner of the castle, the German manufacturer Ernst Gütschow (Ernest Guetschow) in the 20th century. At that time, 40 such passages were created at the castle, and to this day a dozen of them have been discovered. A few passes are taken during the tour. This is most significant in the wardrobe, in the great library, today called the Marble Hall. Next to this passage, it is worth paying attention to the valuable desks created by Wilhelm Kimbel himself, an outstanding carpenter of that time. Ernest did not spare money for the castle. You will learn more from the description of the history of the castle below, and here I will only mention that he bought it for a dizzying amount of 1.5 million marks, and the whole undertaking consumed 4.5 million marks in gold.

Ducal Chamber

We started the tour with the Ducal Chamber, which is ducal only in name. There were 8 radiators in the chamber and to this day it is the warmest place in the castle. There is a sizable bed in the middle of it. The bed was entered from the side of the legs, through a wooden door. The owner was a freemason for whom the flow of energy was important. This location of the entrance provided its optimal track.

Sinking into bed

You must have heard about the famous sinkhole in this bed, through which unfaithful wives and unskillful mistresses fell into the dungeon. I know such stories are easy to remember, but it's just a legend that has nothing to do with the truth. In the Middle Ages, there was no such room. It was created during the great reconstruction of the castle. Ernst slept in this bed with his wife Józefina. He had no mistresses or other wives. In addition, an accurate scan of the castle showed that there was no dungeon under the chamber. The room is adjacent to a private bathroom, which hides original elements, such as a small hot tub. This part of the castle, along with the secret mirrors, can also be admired on the sightseeing route.

Daughters' Chamber and Josephine's Letter

Not far from here is the chamber of his daughters, of whom Ernst had as many as 3. It is here that you will see Josephine's letter to her cousin on the wall, asking her to bring her precious jewelry, diamonds, pearls, gold collars, rings and bracelets to Dresden. Thus, he reveals several secret hiding places, of which there were plenty in the castle, for storing family treasures: coins, jewelry and numerous works of art. Ernest was particularly fond of Orthodox icons. And as the Red Army approached the castle, he assembled the servants and ordered them: "Give them everything they want to take, and they will still take only a part of the treasures of Czocha Castle".

Marble Room

Let's go back to the Marble Hall for a moment, because in it there is a famous fireplace, appearing in one of the legends. According to her, in the 16th century, the child of Ulrica was to be walled up here. However, know that this fireplace was not built until the 20th century. Likewise, the well that also appears in this story, as the place of his wife's execution. You can read about this legend below. Close to the Multimedia Torture Room, where children can feel uncomfortable and adults can feel the thrill at night.

Wine bar

All secret tunnels meet in the so-called Winery, although this room was not a winery. A cooling machine called "Autofrigor" was discovered here. This is a great, yet unsolved riddle of the 20th century. This device is most likely associated with other objects discovered in the attic of the castle in 2015. Among them is the unusual Pioneer oxygen apparatus or the turbine of Walter's World War II prototype rocket engine, visible at the exhibition elsewhere. At the moment, you can only guess what activities were carried out here. The more it wonders, knowing that under the castle there are nowadays impenetrable undergrounds, because they have been walled up. We are also waiting for new, sensational discoveries at Czocha Castle.

Films shot at Czocha Castle

And speaking of sensations. Not only tourists, but also filmmakers liked Czocha Castle. Scenes for many films and series were recorded here, such as Bogusław Wołoszański's Sensations of the 20th Century, Mystery of the Cipher Fortress, Where is the General or the Polish version of The Witcher. In addition, the Valley of Happiness, the Valley of the Gods with John Malkovich and the Christmas Carol from 2023 were filmed here.

The history of Czocha Castle, true stories more interesting than legends!

Czocha Castle was built at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries as a Gothic border guardhouse on the border of Lusatia and Silesia. Its construction dates back to the years 1241-1319. At the beginning, it consisted of a table, i.e. a defensive tower and a residential tower. In the Middle Ages, these lands changed their affiliation so often that today no one is sure who ordered the construction of this stronghold in the Jizera Foothills. The main candidate is Prince Henry I of Piast, Jaworski, who wanted to consolidate his dominion in this part of Upper Lusatia. However, it could also have been Wenceslaus I, the Czech king called the One-Eyed, or Wenceslaus II, the king of Bohemia and the king of Poland.

Raubritters, or robber knights

In the further long and intricate history of the castle, such figures and names as: von Biberstein, Wenceslas and Bernard von Dohna, Henry von Renke, Hartung von Klüx or Kasper von Nostitz appear. All these names are noble families, but these representatives did not always respect the chivalric virtues, because this was the reality. There were raubritters, or robber knights. They looted and plundered, and even if it wasn't their daily occupation, it just happened.

Fearless enemy of robbers, protected by the Pope

The exception here was Kasper von Nostitz. A colorful figure, derived from the old Lusatian family. Known as the enemy of robbers and Hussites. For his services to the faith, Pope Pius II in 1464 issued a bull in which he took Nostitz under papal protection and under the threat of excommunication no one could fight him. Bulls were read in all churches of the Meissen and Wrocław bishoprics.

My him to you!

The von Nostitz family ruled the castle for a long time. At that time, in the 16th century, a romantic story happened with a sad ending. And I'm not talking about a legend, I'm talking about a real event. Well, one of the kneches, i.e. the soldiers of Czocha Castle, committed an act for which he received the death penalty. And so, on a cold November day in 1573, a young lady appeared at the place of execution in Zgorzelec and announced that she wanted to marry the unfortunate man. In the Middle Ages, the custom ordered the remission of punishment in such a situation. However, this court did not pardon the soldier, but only postponed the execution of the sentence for a week.

Misfortunes come in pairs!

At the beginning of the 18th century, the castle was taken over by the von Uechtritz family and ruled it until the beginning of the 20th century. But let's go back to the eighteenth century for a moment, because then a terrible day took place at Czocha Castle. During the funeral of the grandson who died young, the coffin was led out of the castle through a drawbridge in a conduit. When the mourners entered the bridge, he could not stand it and fell into the moat, burying the inhabitants. In this incident, 2 people were killed and 47 people were injured. During the time of the von Uechtritz family, there was also a great fire in the stronghold, after which it was rebuilt in a different style.

Ernst Gütschow - a new era of the castle

And the beginning of the 20th century came when Ernest Guetschow acquired the castle in 1909. There was a new era and a great reconstruction in the romantic style. He commissioned it to an outstanding architect, Bodo Ebhardt. He is also responsible for the renovation of other castles such as Grodziec, Grodno, Bytów, Toszek and Niedzica. A great undertaking began, which consumed 4.5 million marks in gold. No funds were spared by employing the most outstanding artists, known throughout the world at that time. Bodo Heinrich Justus Ebhardt worked here, among others:

Eduard Stritt - an outstanding painter on glass made a dozen or so stained-glass windows here
Max Friedrich Koch - master painter, painted several ceilings in the castle, but only one survived in a small restaurant
Demuth - the painter painted the surviving paintings in the great library (today the Marble Hall), including allegorical scenes responsible for the content of the books located below them (a similar indication of the location of the books, but with quotes we saw at thecastle in Głogówek), portraits of the last owners of the castle, i.e. Josephine and her husband Ernest, and a painting depicting a scene from the Bible depicting the fight of Archangel Michael with the devil
Cirillo dell'Antonio - the sculptor is the author of woodcarving in the castle halls, including the knight's or prince's hall
Wilhelm Kimbel - an outstanding carpenter who lived to be 97 years old. He won the title of "Court Drawer of His Majesty the Emperor and the King" and received a gold artistic medal and the title of court carpenter. In Czosz, he created furniture, including unique desks in a large library, the Marble Hall

The Secret of Ernst Gütschow's Wealth

Ernest was an extremely wealthy German manufacturer. He made his fortune on tobacco sold in the United States. The aforementioned lockers and tunnels in the castle were supposed to protect family treasures. Josephine was basking in the jewelry she mentions in her letter to her cousin. She writes in it to bring her precious jewelry to Dresden, i.e. diamonds, pearls, gold collars, rings and bracelets. Ernest was particularly fond of art. When the Bolshevik Revolution broke out in Russia, Russian aristocrats sought refuge in the castle. When they no longer had the money to pay for their stay, they gave away valuable works of art. Ernest hid them in lockers. To this day, many of them remain a mystery. So far, 160 Orthodox icons have been found, dating from the 12th to the 18th century. The manufacturer also had 60 busts of tsars and tsarist aristocracyfrom Ruryk to the last of the Romanovs. When the Red Army approached the castle in 1945 and fled to the west, he assembled the servants and ordered them: "Give them everything they want to take, and they will still take only a part of the treasures of Czocha Castle".

Find from 2015

In 2015, during the renovation of the roof, another hiding place was discovered in the attic. In addition to Josephine's aforementioned letter about jewelry, other unusual curiosities were found there, including the Pioneer oxygen apparatus or the turbine of Walter's prototype rocket engine from World War II. These objects are connected to a device called "Autofrigor", a cooling machine, found in the so-called Winery. All the secret corridors in the castle used to meet here. For what purpose? It remains a mystery, although shyly talking about the production of weapons in the castle during the war. It is also known that there are nowadays insurmountable undergrounds, because they have been walled up and are still waiting for disclosure. The plans are extensive but require a lot of permits and measures. Since the end of the war, the castle has remained in the hands of the army. Fortunately, it is accessible and friendly to tourists!

Legends of Czocha Castle

Today, it is known that these stories, although emotional, do not carry the truth and have nothing to do with it. However, such a mysterious building has been covered with numerous legends for centuries. Here are the most popular ones:

Legend of Johanna and Ulrik

In the 16th century, the castle was ruled by Johann and Ulrich, they loved each other very much and were famous for it. But the king made Johann leave the castle for two years when he came back and entered the bedroom, saw Ulrica with a tiny child. So small that it couldn't have been his child. It is true that he did not want to believe in her betrayal, but out of despair he did something really cruel. He drowned his wife in the castle well, and he walled the child alive in the fireplace in the Marble Hall.

Legend of a bed with a trapdoor

There is a large bed in the prince's chamber, and the news is that one side of the bed hides a trapdoor. Her launch threw an unfaithful or disobedient wife or unruly mistress into the dungeon under the bedroom.

Laser scanning of the castle

In 2020, an accurate laser scan was performed on the castle, which brought a lot of new information, but also confirmed how the castle is still little discovered. He proved the lack of a trapdoor in the bed, shed new light on many rooms and on the well, which, as it turned out, never was, because it was an air compressor into the castle underground. He also showed numerous voids and strange places that are waiting for further research: non-invasive (ground-penetrating radar) and invasive (drilling).

Scanning in numbers:

- 1373 3D scanner stations
- 270 GB of raw data
- 520 GB point cloud export
- 36 billion points
- 20,000 photos of the castle

Fortress name

Czocha Castle (Tzschocha) was erected on a granite and gneiss rock, which was densely overgrown with yew trees. Hence Cisowa Mountain, or Mons Taxus. The word "taxus" turned into the name Czocha used today. Lusatian researchers suggest that the name of the castle derives from the Slavic name Čak (read Čak).

While writing this article, I drew information from the stories and materials of Piotr Kucznir, a guide and president of the Lusatian Historical Society of Czocha Castle.

Restaurant and hotel in the facility

There is also a restaurant, a café and a hotel in the castle. Thanks to this, you have the opportunity to spend longer moments in a unique scenery. We really liked the place, and we slept in themed rooms: Edgar and Anna Maria. There are also standard rooms, a bit cheaper. Compared to many hotels in Poland, prices in Czosz are not very exorbitant and it is a truly extraordinary adventure. Breakfast is included in the price, abundant and varied, and in the afternoon guests can sit down to a meal in the castle restaurant.

We highly recommend Czocha Castle, because it is an unquestionable hit of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, which in fact already grows on the Lusatian soil. It invites with numerous outdoor events and in the castle walls. Not only in the tourist season. We came across an interesting concert with music from the 1920s. Of the twentieth century. It was an interesting experience.

Here you will find a wide selection of accommodations. By booking your stay on Booking.com through our link, you support the development of our blog — and we thank you in advance! It helps us reach many interesting places that we later love to show you and share our experiences and information with you.

Experiences in the area

In the immediate vicinity, you can admire Lake Leśniańskie with a dam and the oldest hydroelectric power plant in Europe from 1905, which is still operating today. Nearby you will also see the Golden Tower, which has an interesting history. In itself, it was created as a permanent ruin in the 1970s. Of the twentieth century, for the needs of the center that exists here. But the place has a rather gloomy history, because in the 18th century, or more precisely in 1707, the Gallows Tower was built here, in which local residents were executed for their evil deeds. This place belonged to the owners of Czocha Castle and it was this story that was discovered by Edgar von Uechtritz. During amateur excavations, he discovered the remains of human bodies here. The last execution was carried out in 1756, and the blacksmith from Czocha Castle, who was caught stealing from the church in Stankowice, was executed here.

There are also other castles nearby, such as Gryf or Świecie, and in addition you can go to the surrounding mountains, such as the fantastic Karkonosze Mountains with Śnieżka or the Jizera Mountains with Vysoká Kopa.

Check out our ranking: The most beautiful castles in Poland with Czocha Castle

Practical information

Czocha Sucha Castle,
Leśna
Current visiting hours and ticket and hotel price list can be found here: www.zamekczocha.com

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What's worth seeing in the area?

If you have already visited this attraction, it is also worth visiting several other interesting ones places nearby. Within a radius of 100 kilometers you will find many interesting places places that can diversify your stay in this part of Poland.

Sky Walk Tower in Świeradów Zdrój, distance: 14.7 km
Colorful Rudawy Janowickie Lakes, distance: 52.1 km
Castle of Pigs, distance: 57.6 km
Mużakowa Arch Geopark, distance: 67.7 km
Mużakowski Unesco Park, distance: 70 km
Bad Muskau Castle, distance: 70.3 km
Książ Castle, distance: 72.3 km
Grodno Castle in Zagórze Śląskie, distance: 83.7 km
Church of Peace in Świdnica, distance: 85.7 km
Szczeliniec Wielki, distance: 94.9 km