Trip to the ruins of Starý Žeberk in the Krušné hory Mountains

A trip from Jezeří Castle to the ruins of Starý Žeberk

Starting point

Parking lot under the Jezeří Chateau. Access is by road from Horní Jiřetín. Parking is free of charge.
 

Description of the hike

For the autumn trip I chose a less known tourist destination - the ruins of the castle Starý Žeberk. It is located not far from the famous Jezeří castle on the eponymous Jezeří mountain. Most tourists go to the castle and do not go to the ruins.

From the parking lot I climbed up to the Jezeří castle, but I immediately continued along the blue hiking trail. The path leads first on asphalt, but soon turns into a forest path. And it also starts to climb more steeply. After a while, I joined a wide forest path and actually reached the foot of Jezeří Mountain. On the way you can see the remains of the waterworks that used to serve the Jezeří castle. In places it is possible to see into the landscape below the Ore Mountains, especially the Most brown coal basin. Eventually, I reached the turn-off to the ruins of Starý Žeberk Castle by following the blue trail.

From here a trail leads to the top. The ruin itself is very indistinct, there are only remnants of ramparts and a few stones. The top of Jezeří itself is a cliff with no official path leading to it. However, there are beaten paths. The peak and its surroundings offer several partial views of the landscape. Both to the ridge of the Ore Mountains, especially to the Jedlová Mountain, and to the damaged landscape below the mountains. After a rest I headed back. And I took the same path that led me to the Jezeří mountain and the ruins of the Starý Žeberk castle.
 

Difficulty

A short and very easy hike on wide forest paths. The elevation on the trail is not big, the climb to the Jezeří mountain is gradual. The access to the rock on the top is on the trail, it is necessary to use your hands. There is no official road to the top of the rock, but the trail is well trodden. The trail is ideal for children and dogs. There is a wide path leading under the ruins of Starý Žeberk, which can be traversed by a stroller.
 

Water availability

The route is very short, just 1 litre of water per person. There is no possibility to refill fluids along the way. I mean, there is a stream, but I didn't test the water quality.
 

Mountain peaks

From the top of Jezeří, 707 m above sea level, there are views of the ridge of the Ore Mountains, especially the Jedlová massif, but also of the foothills of the Ore Mountains, destroyed by coal mining. In good visibility you can see the Bohemian Central Highlands.
 

Danger

The road to Mount Jezeří is a wide forest road and there is absolutely no problem. It is simply a walk through the forest. As for Mount Jezeří itself, there is a well-trodden path leading to its summit. It is possible to climb the rock without any problems, but you definitely can't do without using your hands.
 

Food

There is no lodge or refreshments along the route. It is good to have some snacks of your own - the route is short.
 

Attractions

Although Jezeří Castle is better known to the public, my destination was the ruins of Starý Žeberk Castle, which is about 2 km from this castle. It is located on the Jezeří hill, 707 m high, in the southern slopes of the Ore Mountains. The castle was built around the middle of the 13th century. Its founder is probably Albert of Žeberk. In the middle of the 14th century, however, Nový Žeberk was built on the nearby peak of the Castle Mountain. The reason for this was probably the poor access to the old castle and also a possible poor water supply. Since then, the original castle lost its importance and began to deteriorate. At the end of the 14th century it is listed as abandoned. Nowadays, only the ramparts and small remains of the fortifications remain. It is located in the Jezerka National Nature Reserve.