In 1241 Zdeslav of the Diviš family founded an early Gothic castle over the Sázava River and named it "Šternberk". The name of one of the first stone castles in Bohemia was derived by its founder from the Divis family coat of arms, a golden eight-pointed star, and the contemporary fashion of Germanizing names. The medieval form of the early Gothic castle is hidden in the core of the present building, which has been created by several modifications. The building development ranges from late Gothic alterations to improve the defensive system, to lavish early Baroque modifications of the interiors for the purpose of comfortable living. At the beginning of the 20th century, the castle was rebuilt to meet modern living requirements, a water supply system was built, the castle was electrified and in the 1930s it was equipped with central heating. The founding family, the Sternbergs, still own the castle today. Český Šternberk is one of the best preserved castles in the Czech Republic.
The castle has one tour route, which is located on the second floor of the castle and includes fifteen richly furnished rooms from different historical periods, where you can get to know important members of the Sternberg family and get a glimpse into their way of life. In particular, you will be guided through the story of Jiří Sternberg (1888-1965), who was touched by the many twists and turns of the 20th century and who worked here as a castellan and guide after the castle was nationalised in 1949. The atmosphere and the appearance of the family seat were restored by Jiří's son Zdeněk Sternberg (1923-2021), who restituted the castle in 1992 and began a comprehensive reconstruction and restoration of the furnishings. During the tour, you will also see Jiří's unique collection of copper engravings from the Thirty Years' War, which is one of the largest monothematic collections of graphic sheets in Europe.
The Hunger Room
In addition to the castle exhibition, tourists can visit the southern outpost, the so-called "hunger chamber", which is part of an ingenious fortification system built at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. The mighty tower has a sharp edge that was adapted to knock enemy projectiles aside. The area around the tower is protected by a massive horseshoe-shaped perimeter wall with loopholes, of which only the torso has been preserved. This bastion is one of the best preserved objects of late Gothic fortification construction and its importance in the genesis of Central European fortifications of the 15th century goes beyond Bohemia.
SPECIAL TOURS
Guided tour around Český Šternberk Castle
Have you already been on a tour of Český Šternberk and want to learn more about it? You are not interested in visiting the castle interiors, but you like the surrounding landscape? Come with us for a walk! We will start our roughly two-hour walk on the southern terrace of the castle, which is dominated by the originally defensive Gothic cylindrical tower in which the Chapel of St. George was established in 1923. We then walk over the hill called Vražda, from which we look out over the surrounding area, and see the Baroque statues that were incorporated into the landscape in the second half of the 18th century. For example, do you know which saint is the patron saint of tourism? We'll find out how the Gothic outrigger defensive tower with a battlement, now called the Hunger Tower, worked. You will also learn more about the fate of the Sternberg estate, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries. The walk will take us to the settlement of Čejkovice, where we will learn about the fate of the former brewery, which was converted into a boarding house in the 1930s and transformed into an ROH convalescent home in the 1950s.
- Length of the walk approx. 4 km, duration approx. 1.5-2 hours
- not recommended for children under 10 years old, due to the terrain it is not suitable for prams and people with limited mobility
- maximum number of persons: 25
- the walk can be booked outside the dates for groups of at least 10 people
Get to know the Sternberg family seat!
Guided tour for families with children accompanied by a keyholder. The castles were not only home to kings and princesses. For example, Český Šternberk was founded by the knight Zdeslav and many of his descendants lived there. Go with our key-holder, who can unlock ancient times, to meet the castle's inhabitants! Find out why the knights had coats of arms or how the castle was conquered. You'll also wonder if the castle can be heated or what the silver treasure looks like.
- recommended for children aged 5 to 10
- approx. 40-50 minutes
- the tour can also be booked outside the set dates for groups of at least 10 people
Admission can be booked online