Probably from the hands of Wenceslas II, it came into the possession of Ostrov, the lords of Dubá. In the period of their greatest glory, they decided on the throne as well as on the income of the crown treasury.
The castle was built in the location of an originally wooden, later stone fortified settlement (end of the 9th century), which the Duke of Pšovan Slavibor founded for his son Housek.
During its existence, the originally impregnable Gothic castle has undergone a number of building modifications, thanks to which today we can meet all styles in Houska, starting from the late Romanesque.
Especially the Renaissance interventions determined the current form of the building and the immediate surroundings of the castle (made accessible after the Thirty Years’ War). The Renaissance chateau with elements of a Gothic castle is probably the most apt characteristic for its current appearance.
In addition to the already mentioned rulers and lords of Dubá, Jan of Smiřice, the Hrzánová family of Harasov, the Wallenstein family, Veronika of Sulz, Hypolita of Hofkirchen, the Kounic family, Princess Hohenlohe and Countess Andrássy took turns as owners of the castle.
In 1924, the castle was bought by the president of the Škoda Works, Senator Josef Šimonek. After repairs, it was used as a summer and representative residence of the family until 1939.
After that, the castle, thanks to its location in the Sudetenland, was used by the German army until 1945, and since 1950 the archive of the State Library in Klementinum has been located here.
After the roofs reached the end of their lives, a new (copper) roof, the planned night sanatorium of Spolana Neratovice was not completed. The castle was handed over to Instav Prague in the early 90s, then handed over in restitution to the original owners.
These are Mr. Jaromír Šimonek and Mrs. MUDr. Blanka Horová, who today very successfully repair the results of forty years of state care for the monument, which is evaluated as at least a Central European rarity, especially thanks to the original Gothic castle chapel (paintings – turn of the 13th and 14th centuries).
It was only by the current owners that Houska Castle was opened to the general public (for the first time in its long history!!) in 1999.
Today, it lives with cultural events – fairs, fencers, dances, crafts, singers and musicians, seasonal and permanent exhibitions, period-themed activities of individuals and companies, wedding ceremonies, etc.
