. ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁St ř ek ov ▁Castle ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 3 1 6 ▁for ▁John ▁of ▁Luxemb ourg , ▁the ▁father ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Emperor ▁Charles ▁IV , ▁to ▁guard ▁an ▁important ▁trade ▁route ▁to ▁Germany . ▁After ▁changing ▁hands ▁several ▁times , ▁the ▁castle ▁was ▁acquired ▁by ▁the ▁Lob kow icz ▁family ▁in ▁ 1 5 6 3 . ▁Its ▁strateg ic ▁importance ▁led ▁to ▁occup ations ▁by ▁Imperial ▁H abs burg , ▁Sax on , ▁and ▁Swedish ▁forces ▁during ▁the ▁Th irty ▁Years ' ▁War , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁success ive ▁sie ges ▁by ▁Aust rian ▁and ▁Pr uss ian ▁arm ies ▁during ▁the ▁Seven ▁Years ' ▁War . ▁Although ▁St ř ek ov ▁Castle ▁was ▁heavily ▁dam aged ▁during ▁those ▁conflicts ▁and ▁abandoned ▁as ▁a ▁military ▁installation ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁the ▁ 1 8 0 0 s ▁saw ▁many ▁po ets ▁and ▁artists ▁visit ing ▁the ▁castle , ▁drawn ▁by ▁a ▁new ▁tr end ▁of ▁interest ▁in ▁rom antic ▁ru ins . ▁Go ethe ▁declared ▁the ▁view ▁from ▁the ▁castle ' s ▁position ▁above ▁the ▁El be ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁most ▁beautiful ▁in ▁Central ▁Europe , ▁while ▁Richard ▁Wagner ' s ▁opera ▁T ann hä user ▁was ▁supposed ly ▁inspired ▁by ▁his ▁visit ▁to ▁St ř ek ov . ▁The ▁castle ▁was ▁conf isc ated ▁by ▁the ▁Naz i ▁regime ▁and ▁later ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁government , ▁but ▁was ▁rest it uted ▁to ▁the ▁Lob kow icz