Velešov, zřícenina hradu

Velešov is a ruin of the castle near Potštejn in the district of Rychnov nad Kněžnou. It is located on a steep hill of the same name about one kilometer northwest of Potštejn Castle. Since 1964, it has been protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic. Terrain relics and small fragments of walls have been preserved from the castle, which stood only for a short time in the fourteenth century. Around 1339, the nearby Potštejn, owned by the robber knight Mikuláš of Potštejn, Margrave Karel, besieged it. He managed to conquer and demolish it. Nicholas died during the siege. Margrave Karel forbade its restoration and the lords of Potštejn founded the Velešov castle on the neighboring hill. The first written mention of it comes from 1356, when King Charles IV. Potštejn had it restored and bought an estate for him, to which Velešov also belonged. He thus lost his significance and was abandoned. In the years 1771–1773, Count Jan Antonín Harbuval Chamaré unsuccessfully sought treasure here and significantly damaged the castle. The stone from the dismantled walls was then transported by cable car to Potštejn, where it was used to build a wall around the castle park. At the top of the hill there is a turn from the red marked hiking trail and also the Velešov Nature Trail. In 2008, the peak was deforested and adjusted to a lookout point, which, unfortunately, is again overgrown with overgrown trees and the view is partial from only two places. Nevertheless, this magical place is worth climbing the hill.