Lipý is a castle ruin right in the heart of Česká Lípa, and its story is anything but ordinary - a Gothic water castle turned Renaissance chateau, later a sugar refinery, and finally a site nearly erased after World War II. Today it stands as a restored piece of history at the center of town, open for exploration.

The castle once rose on an island formed by the branches of the Ploučnice River, though it's hard to picture that now walking through the modern town center. The mood here is calm and historic, pleasant to visit in any season - lively in summer with open-air cinema and festivals, quiet and contemplative in autumn and winter when you can wander the ruins undisturbed.

How to get there

• Česká Lípa town center - on foot, a few minutes, easy route
• The castle sits right in the city center, no hiking trail needed to reach it

Practical information

• A permanent exhibition covers the local Jewish minority's history and the sugar refinery once located here
• Guided tours, Passion plays, and the Česká Lípa town festival take place on site
• The castle courtyard doubles as a summer open-air cinema
• The site is managed by the municipal organization Lipý Česká Lípa

Almost nothing of the original castle and chateau survived the 20th century - part of it was even dynamited in 1957 - but thanks to archaeological research after 1995, this 700-year-old site has been brought back to life.