The area north and east of Brno is formed by the Moravia karst – a limestone landscape and natural park of considerable beauty and filled with attractions. Today, I went to the tiny hamlet of Holštejn. A remote village at the end of a dead end road in the middle of nowhere about 35km outside of Brno (see map).
There on top of a limestone hill with two sheer sides is the ruins of Holštejn Castle. Built in or around 1278 by Hartman, the son of Crha of Ceblovice. Sometime around 1320, it is purchased by Vok of Sovinec and just four generations later, it is owned by Hynek from Valdštejn, Půta from Sovince and Dobeš Černohorský from Boskovice. In 1493, Holštejn bought Hynek from Popůvek, after his death in 1528 the estate was inherited by his daughter Markéta. In 1531, the castle is listed as desolate. The Castle ruins are directly above a large limestone cave called the Hladomorna cave (famine Cave). It was bricked up in the middle ages but was connected to the castle.
As with many locations in these lands, the cave is associated with some interesting tales. One revolves around a buried treasure guarded by a black man who lives in the cave. There is also another legend that one of the Vok’s (IV) fell for the charms of a nearby maiden and not able to win her over with gifts, took her and her Mother by force of arms. He imprisoned the Mother in the cave and would only release her if Agnes would marry him. Unfortunately, Agnes’ Mother died of starvation and Vok had to go off to war. Agnes was rescued and Vok met a nasty end in battle. Interesting, a local historian of an earlier era states that the black man is actually a red woman! Perhaps the ghost of the poor lady who was starved there? Indeed, the Vok’s were not very nice people it seems and they routinely held travelers for ransom and imprisoned them in the walled up cave.
Whatever the history and legends, I felt an energy there and next time I visit, I will take my dowsing rods. It seemed to me to be an idyllic place for meditation and working with the Goddess Živa (due to the stream) and I sensed no evil presence in the cave or area of the Castle. Behind the limestone hill on which the Castle stands is a beautiful stream that when I was there was full of water due to melting snow. It bends around and eventually disappears underground. The area is full of underground rivers, stream and caves of course and I believe the water comes back to the surface again at the nearby Macocha cave. The Macocha cave area is reputedly the site of a dragon and therefore I believe strong Earth energies. The area behind the Castle and to one side of the stream seemed to me to be a very peaceful and strong energy area.
