The Český Šternberk castle was built around 1241 by Zdeslav of Divišov, who named it after his coat of arms, an eight-pointed star, calling it Sternberg (Stern = star, Berg = mountain, Šternberk is the Czech spelling) according to the custom at the time of using German names. He also adopted the new territorial surname “ze Sternberga” (“of Sternberg”).
One remarkable fact is that the castle is still owned by the same family as almost 800 years ago. The current owner is a descendant in the 20th generation of the founder.
In 1467 the castle was taken and later renovated in the late Gothic style. Improvements were made especially to the castle defences, such as a south-facing projecting bastion built “en bec” (with a sharp beak) called the Dungeon, which today serves as a look-out point. Extensive early Baroque renovations were carried out in the second half of the 1600s, when the castle no longer served its original defensive purposes and an effort was made to ensure the comfort of its inhabitants. Since that time the stone walls of this Gothic castle have been home to a chateau interior. After lifestyle changes in the early 20th c entury the castle was fitted with electricity, indoor plumbing and central heating.
We would like to invite you to take a tour of the castle, during which you can visit 15 richly appointed rooms furnished in the style of various historical periods, learn about important members of the Sternberg family and catch a glimpse of their way of life. You can also see the unique Šternberk collection of copper engravings from the Thirty Years’ War, which is one of the largest monothematic collections of engravings in Europe.