The ruins of Hartenberg Castle (Czech: Hartenberk or Hřebeny), originally Romanesque and later rebuilt in the Gothic style, stand on a rocky outcrop on the right bank of the Svatava River at 510 meters above sea level. It is believed to have been a border castle built around 1200. Sedlec belonged to the Bohemian Přemyslid Kingdom, while the Cheb region and a large part of the Sokolov region were under German rule. The Lords of Hartenberg, Heinrich and Albrecht, were first mentioned in 1214.
At the beginning of the 15th century, the von Hartenbergs sold the castle to Jan Maléřík. His descendants used the castle as a base for raids. In 1459, the army of the city of Cheb advanced, besieged, conquered, and plundered the castle.
After 1945, the castle grounds were used for a time by the army as a non-commissioned officer training school for the border troops. Later, it became the property of the State Forestry and was used as a warehouse and granary. Between 1984 and 1991, Hartenberg was deliberately set on fire several times, thus turning it into a ruin.
Today, the property is owned by Bedřich Loos, who purchased the castle ruins in 1997 and is attempting to restore the building with the help of over 1,000 volunteers from 76 countries in so-called work camps. Currently, two floors of the main palace are being restored, including the Chapel of the Three Kings and the Gothic cellars.
In the second half of the 18th century, the Auersperg family inherited the estate, which was gradually converted into a castle from the 17th to the 19th century. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe visited Hartenberg several times. He was friends with the castle owner, Count Josef Auersperg, with whom he shared a passion for natural sciences. In 1821, Goethe celebrated his 72nd birthday here.
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