The Hussite hetman, brave soldier and warrior at the time of the Hussite Wars,
Jakoubek of Vřesovic had a castle built at the top of a steep
basalt rock (565 m n.m.) sometime after 1426. At that time new castles were built only rarely
and if they were built they were, just like Oltářík, resembling
eagle nests, being situated high at the top of solitary peaks. The top of the basalt
cone did not allow much space for the castle,
so a trapezoid residential tower was built with two rounded corners. This
extreme location at the top of a prominent hill was a reaction to the devastating
power of the artillery that was demonstrated during the Hussite Wars.
Already during Jakoubek's lifetime (died in 1462) the castle changed owners
; the new owner was Jan of Polensko. In the 1460s
the castle was acquired by Zajícové of Házmburk but after that it went back to the House of Vřesovic. Since Oltářík was a military castle,
it was only used in times of war, but during peace nobody really
wanted to live so far up in the uncomfortable, squeezed in rooms.
It was deserted and in 1544 it was listed as desolate.
Oltářík is accessible all year round and it offers superb views over the
surrounding hills of the České středohoří Mountains (Central Bohemian Uplands), the Krušné Mountains and the areas around the Labe
and the Ohře. The name of the castle clearly has a symbolic subtext as was quite common in those times
, as like other castlesfrom that era ( Tábor (the main Hussite stronghold) Kalich (Chalice), Panna (Virgin), Sion).