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.