Střekov Castle

Střekov Castle (Czech: hrad Střekov, German: Burg Schreckenstein) is a ruined castle in Ústí nad Labem in the Central Bohemian Highlands in the Czech Republic. It is perched atop a cliff above the Elbe river. It was built in the 14th century to protect the waterway and collect duties on transported goods, and is renowned for its impressive views. It has enchanted a variety of visiting artists, most notably Goethe, Richard Wagner, and Karel Hynek Mácha. The castle is especially well known from the painting by Ludwig Richter called Passing the Schreckenstein (Überfahrt am Schreckenstein) which hangs in the Galerie Neue Meister in Dresden. The castle is perched atop a steep, monolithic, clinkstone rock that rises steeply to 100 metres above the Elbe and is the symbol of North Bohemia. Large parts of the castle have survived or been rebuilt, including the bergfried, palas and castle walls.