LIBOŠOVICE, CZECH REPUBLIC—Radio Prague International reports that archaeologists have uncovered traces of a large tower that once stood at the site of Kost Castle. Located in the “Bohemian Paradise” region in the western Czech Republic, the presence of the tower suggests a massive castle stood on the site before Count Beneš of Vartenberk first built a wooden and stone structure there in 1349. “We suspected that there was a fortification here, but we thought it was perhaps a minor fortress or a small castle,” said castellan Jan Macháček. Archaeologists want to know why Count Beneš and his son Petr of Vartenberk demolished the previous structure and built a completely new one. “Usually, buildings are added to enlarge and modernize an early castle,” explained archaeologist Vojtěch Beránek. He thinks the older tower may have been connected to a gate in the castle’s northern wall that was unearthed last year. To read about a Neolithic well unearthed near Ostrov, go to "Around the World: Czech Republic."
