A resident of Bolesławiec visits the beautiful Leśnia–Złotniki lake, one of the larger bodies of water, located half an hour from Bolesławiec. On the occasion, we visit the beautiful Czocha Castle, open to tourists every day from 4:00 p.m. Several legends are associated with the castle, including:
- The legend of Zośka Czajówna, who defended the castle against Noskza’s forces, and who later became the castle’s owner. The castle took the name “Czocha” from her name, pronounced in German as Cocha;
- The legend of the “well of mute wives” located in the castle, into which the owner, Wolfshel Nositz, threw his wife, Walburga;
- The legend of the “White Lady,” who walks along the castle walls once every hundred years;
- Finally, the story of Ulrike’s wife, cruelly sentenced to death in 1792 for treason after giving birth to a child during her husband’s absence while he was serving in the diplomatic service. Her husband ordered the child to be walled into the fireplace of the Great Hall and, as the legend goes, to this day the child’s crying can be heard after midnight, while the mother’s white figure descends from the tower to comfort it.
It is worth visiting Czocha Castle to see for yourself whether the legends contain a “grain of truth.”
(Based on the book by V. and A. Wiącek, “Legends of the Karkonosze and Surrounding Areas”)