Grzmiąca - Rogowiec Castle

State of preservation:		Only ground parts of the walls have preserved of the castle
Admission:		The entrance to the ruins is free of charge
Parking:		There is no parking lot near the castle and there is a problem with leaving the car
Searching difficulty:		Finding the Rogowiec Castle was the most difficult out of all described castles on this website
Access difficulty:		The access to the ruins is very tough and requires climbing a steep Rogowiec Mountain
Subjective rating:		The ruins of an average beauty

Driving directions:

Driving from Kłodzko down the road no 381 for Wałbrzych in Głuszyca (not Górna!) you need to turn left into the road no 380 towards Unisław Śląski. On the way there is Grzmiąca situated, in which before viaduct you ought to turn left and after a while turn right into the tunnel under the railroad embankment. That is the Wiejska St. and the green trail leads up to it. You should drive down that street uphill until the end of asphalt and drive on straight ahead down the beaten track till you reach the clearing, where you can leave your car (you should do it as closest to the street, down which you have driven since that way timber is brought in from the forest and there is a large lock necessary for lumberjacks). From the clearing to the castle you may reach in two ways:
1. climb the mountain down the yellow trail to the right, descend it and then climb Rogowiec (it takes around 40-50 min. one way, you won’t get lost but on your way you might lose your hope for reaching anywhere at least two times)
2. or go straight ahead down the stream "bed". On your way you pass the pond on the left and past it you enter the forest to the left and go down the wide forest path uphill. After going out to the verge of the forest there is a T-shaped fork of roads, at which you should walk to the right down the next wide and forest path (the path to the left leads to meadows) and after entering the forest you need to go up the hill after around 400m the road turn at an angle of 90 degrees to the left, and to the right a narrow, forest path uphill diverges from it. Along that path run the black bicycle trail and the yellow hiking trail too. You must walk on down that very path. On the way you go past the rock gate and about 100 m beyond it, on the hilltop the ruins are located (one-way time of access: around 30-35 min., also some 2 times you lose hope for finding the castle)


Historical outline:

Former name: Donnerau, Hornsber castle

The Rogowiec Castle sprang into existence at the end of the XIIIth cent. probably as the foundation of duke Bolko I since the documents from the years of 1292 and 1299 mention that the castellan of the castle was Reinsko (Reinczko) – courtier of Bolko I. In the XIVth the stronghold was utilized by the dukes of Świdnica-Jawor. In 1392 the castle was annexed to the Bohemia, and in the XVth cent. was the residence of knightly families engaged in banditry, to which the document from 1420 listing Franz Pogarella refers. In 1438 when the castle was in the hands of Schellendorf family, Maciej Korwin ordered destruction of the stronghold, which Georg von Stein made. Since that time the castle has remained in ruin.


Pictures:




Nearest castles:

Bagieniec

Cisy Castle (of the Cis family)

Świdnica

Wałbrzych

Wałbrzych

Kamienna Góra

Czarny Bór

Zagórze Śląskie

Grzędy (Wojaczów)

Wałbrzych

Dzierżoniów

Pieszyce (Rościszów)

Rybnica Leśna

Mieroszów

Wolibórz (Jodłownik, Zamkowa Mountain)

Wolibórz (Garncarz Mountain)