Owners of the castle included kings John of Bohemia and George of Poděbrady. Over time the castle grew into a large fortress. Powerful and rich Smiřický family acquired the domain in 1544, and had the castle rebuilt into a comfortable Renaissance château; the town also flourished at the time, and was endowed with privileges almost equal to royal charters. The town bought a manor at nearby Slané in the County of Kladsko (Kłodzko) in 1601, which remained its property till 1945.