Poustka is a municipality and village in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 200 inhabitants. It is known for the Seeberg Castle.

Administrative parts

The village of Ostroh is an administrative part of Poustka.

Etymology

The word poustka denoted lonely house or abandoned house. The Middle High German word einôti (in modern German Einöde), which gave rise to the German name of the settlement Oed, had the same meaning.

Geography

Poustka is located about 8 km northwest of Cheb and 40 km west of Karlovy Vary. It lies in the Fichtel Mountains. The highest point is the hill Kozinec at 551 m above sea level. The stream Slatinný potok flows through the municipality.

History

The first written mention of Poustka is from 1275. Ostroh was first mentioned in 1322. The villages developed typically for the castle grounds, they provided the background for the castle. Farmers and people working at the castle lived here. It used to be a strategic point, but later the original function of the castle changed and it became mainly an administrative centre. Among the notable owners of the castle were the families of Schlick, Juncker, Zedtwitz and Nostitz.

Demographics

Transport

The I/64 road from Františkovy Lázně to the Czech-German border in Aš runs through the municipality.

Sights

The main landmark is the Seeberg Castle in Ostroh. It was built between 1250 and 1275. It originally served as a ministerial castle. The original Romanesque castle was later rebuilt in Gothic and Renaissance styles. It consists of a Romanesque and Gothic palace with a Renaissance wing. Today the castle is open to the public. The Church of Saint Wolfgang was built in the Gothic style in 1470–1478. It was rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1721–1724.