Košťálov

A Gothic castle ruin on the bare basalt cone of Košťál (481 m) above Třebenice — one of the signature silhouettes of the middle České středohoří, freely accessible.

The tooth of masonry on the summit of Košťál is visible from half the lowland — Košťálov is one of the signature silhouettes of the middle České středohoří. The castle probably dates from the 14th century; its core was a residential tower on the highest point of the basalt cone, and a piece of the palace wall still stands upright on the very top of the rock, with traces of ramparts on the eastern slope.

The climb from Třebenice side is short and steep, the final metres over bare rock, and the ruin is freely accessible. The summit is largely treeless, so the reward is a full panorama — Hazmburk, Lovoš, Milešovka and the steppe hills in between.