Discover Wildstein: Castle, Churches and Nature

Wildstein combines impressive architectural history with unusual insights into nature and science. At its centre is the Romanesque Vildštejn Castle, dating from around 1200. Along the visitor route, you can see a Romanesque chapel first mentioned in writing in 1166. The castle grounds are also home to a fire brigade museum – an additional accent alongside the medieval walls.

Churches and Historical Traces

The Church of St John the Baptist is part of the area’s historical diversity. It was founded by the Teutonic Order; the conversion of the originally Gothic church in the Baroque style began between 1705 and 1709. The church therefore allows visitors to view Gothic origins and Baroque alterations together in a single building. Services are held regularly in the church. It is thus not only a historic building, but also a place with an ongoing religious use.

The Cemetery Church of St Sebastian was originally a Gothic building from the 14th century and is listed among the cultural monuments of the Czech Republic. Inside are Late Renaissance and early Baroque figurative and heraldic funerary monuments of the Wirsberg, Trauttenberg and Hertenberg families. Anyone interested in regional history will find tangible evidence here of the history of former rulers and families.

Skalná Among Half-Timbered Houses, Exhibitions and Castle History

Several buildings in the style of Cheb half-timbered architecture are among Skalná’s notable sites. These half-timbered houses are privately owned and can only be viewed from the outside. The Skalná Seismological Exhibition offers another way to explore the region’s history: it explains the study of earthquakes and the measurement of the resulting seismic waves. It also presents the strongest earthquakes in recent history and their consequences.

The development of the Horní zámek complex also dates back a long way. After the Skalná estate was divided in 1541, a new farmyard with a Renaissance fortress was built under the rule of the Wirsbergs, from which the complex developed. The Kateřina museum narrow-gauge railway adds the history of technology to the historical themes; its track gauge is 600 mm.

Soos and Other Special Destinations

The Soos nature reserve near Skalná provides a striking landscape highlight. There, mofettes release mineral springs and pure carbon dioxide. Parts of the area are accessible to the public via a 1.2 km-long educational boardwalk trail. The length of the educational boardwalk trail also provides a specific figure for planning a visit to the natural area. The sites at Starý Rybník Castle are currently privately owned; reconstruction and subsequent opening to the public are being prepared. The range therefore extends from accessible nature experiences to historic sites that may be open to the public in the future.

More Places in the Wider Area

For further options, you can also compare Poutnov, Neukirchen, Kulsam, Tepl, Eger, Dreihacken, Skalka U Chebu and Voitersreuth.

For the overview of the wider travel region: Eger District.