Explore

Castles in Bohemia

Updated November 2026

The Czech Republic has one of the highest densities of castles in the world, and most of them are in Bohemia. Karlštejn was built by Emperor Charles IV to guard the crown jewels, Křivoklát hides in deep forest, and Kokořín rises above a valley of sandstone rocks.

In South Bohemia, castles such as Rožmberk and Zvíkov stand above the Vltava, while Orlík looks out over a reservoir. Several châteaux were returned to their noble families after 1989.

PrimeMap lists 2,014 castles and châteaux in Bohemia. Here are some of the best known.

How to find them

In the free PrimeMap app you will find all 2,014 places from this page on the map, with descriptions, photos and directions. Open the map wherever you are and see what is nearby.

App Store

Google Play

Karlštejn

Photo: Ввласенко · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Karlštejn

📍 okres Beroun

Karlštejn Castle (Czech: hrad Karlštejn; German: Burg Karlstein) is a large Gothic castle in the Czech Republic, founded in 1348 by King Charles IV. It served as a place for safekeeping the Imperial Regalia as well as the Bohemian crown jewels, holy relics, and other royal treasures.

Švihov Castle

Photo: Jiří Strašek · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Švihov Castle

📍 Švihov, okres Klatovy

Švihov Castle (Czech: hrad Švihov; German: Schwihau) is a Gothic water castle in Švihov in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic.

Střekov Castle

Photo: Victor Belousov · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Střekov Castle

📍 Ústí nad Labem, okres Ústí nad Labem

Střekov Castle (Czech: hrad Střekov, German: Burg Schreckenstein) is a ruined castle in Ústí nad Labem in the Central Bohemian Highlands in the Czech Republic. It is perched atop a cliff above the Elbe river.

Duchcov Chateau

Photo: VitVit · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Duchcov Chateau

📍 Duchcov

Duchcov Chateau (Czech: Zámek Duchcov; German: Schloss Dux) is a manor house in Duchcov in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It is protected as a national cultural monument. Today the chateau houses a museum with a collection of historic furniture.

Zvíkov Castle

Photo: Chmee2 · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Zvíkov Castle

📍 Zvíkovské Podhradí

Zvíkov (Czech: hrad Zvíkov; German: Klingenberg), often called "the king of Czech castles", is a castle in Zvíkovské Podhradí municipality, about 15 kilometres (9 mi) north of Písek in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic.

Josefov Fortress

Photo: Karelj · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Josefov Fortress

📍 Jaroměř

Josefov Fortress (Czech: Pevnost Josefov, German: Josefstadt or Josephstadt) is a large historic defence complex of 18th-century military architecture in Jaroměř in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It was built between 1780 and 1787.

Kynžvart Castle

Photo: Ondřej Žváček · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons

Kynžvart Castle

📍 Lázně Kynžvart, Cheb District

Kynžvart Castle (Czech: Zámek Kynžvart; German: Schloss Königswart) is a historic château located near Lázně Kynžvart in the Cheb District of the Czech Republic. The building's architecture is in the neoclassical style. After extensive renovations, the castle was reopened to the public in 2000.

Rožmberk Castle

Photo: User:China_Crisis · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons

Rožmberk Castle

📍 Rožmberk nad Vltavou

Rožmberk (German: Rosenberg) is a castle situated in South Bohemia near Rožmberk nad Vltavou in the Czech Republic. Considered one of the oldest castles in Bohemia, it stands on a promontory carved out on three sides by the river Vltava. It was first mentioned in 1253 in a document signed by Vok "von Rosenberg".

Křivoklát Castle

Photo: Bornholm · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Křivoklát Castle

📍 okres Rakovník

Křivoklát Castle (Czech: hrad Křivoklát) is a castle in Křivoklát in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It is protected as a national cultural monument.

Schwarzenberg Palace

Photo: VitVit · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Schwarzenberg Palace

📍 Prague

Schwarzenberg Palace (Czech: Schwarzenberský palác) is a Renaissance building in Prague, Czech Republic. It currently serves as a gallery of the National Gallery Prague and is a cultural monument.

Kost Castle

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Olaf1541 assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Kost Castle

📍 Libošovice

Kost Castle (Czech: hrad Kost) is a Gothic castle in Libošovice municipality in Jičín District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It lies in the nature region of Bohemian Paradise and is owned by Kinský dal Borgo noble family.

Castle Rožmitál pod Třemšínem

Photo: Lucie Voříšková · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Castle Rožmitál pod Třemšínem

📍 Rožmitál pod Třemšínem, okres Příbram

Rožmitál pod Třemšínem Castle (Czech: zámek Rožmitál, German: Burg Rosental) is a castle in Rožmitál pod Třemšínem in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It was originally built in the Gothic style the 13th century and rebuilt in the Renaissance style in 16th-century on behalf of Florián Gryspek.

Litomyšl Chateau

Photo: Přemysl Otakar · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Litomyšl Chateau

📍 Litomyšl

Litomyšl Castle (Czech: Státní zámek v Litomyšli, lit. 'State Castle in Litomyšl') is one of the largest Renaissance castles in the Czech Republic. It is owned by the Czech state. It is located in the centre of the town of Litomyšl and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

Orlík Castle

Photo: Karelj · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Orlík Castle

📍 Orlík nad Vltavou

Orlík Castle (Czech: Zámek Orlík) is a château 500 metres (1,600 ft) in Orlík nad Vltavou, in Písek District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic.

Červená Lhota Castle

Photo: Zdenek Svoboda · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Červená Lhota Castle

📍 Pluhův Žďár

Červená Lhota (German: Roth-Lhotta) is a Renaissance castle in the South Bohemian Region, Czech Republic. It lies in the village of Červená Lhota in the Pluhův Žďár municipality, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) northwest of Jindřichův Hradec. It stands at the middle of a lake on a rocky island.

Lány Castle

Photo: Michal Duda Rokycany · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Lány Castle

📍 Lány, okres Kladno

Lány Castle (Czech: zámek Lány) is a manor house in Lány in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. The current structure, built in the late 15th century, sits on the site of a medieval fortress.

Sternberg Palace

Photo: svajcr · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Sternberg Palace

📍 Prague

Sternberg Palace (Czech: Šternberský palác) is a Baroque building in Prague, Czech Republic. It currently serves as a gallery of the National Gallery Prague and is a cultural monument.

Litice Castle

Photo: Bohemianroots · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Litice Castle

📍 Záchlumí

Litice Castle (German: Litiz) is a castle in Záchlumí municipality in the Ústí nad Orlicí District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. The town of Lititz, Pennsylvania, United States, was named after the castle by members of the Moravian Church.

Kokořín Castle

Photo: Ben Skála, Benfoto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Kokořín Castle

📍 Kokořín, okres Mělník

Kokořín Castle (Czech: Hrad Kokořín) is a castle located in Kokořín in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It was built in the first half of the 14th century by order of Hynek Berka of Dubá. It was heavily damaged during the Hussite Wars and stood in ruins until the reconstruction campaign of 1911–1918.

Žebrák Castle

Photo: Janmanak · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Žebrák Castle

📍 Točník, okres Beroun

Žebrák Castle (Czech: hrad Žebrák) is a castle ruin in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It is located in the municipality of Točník in the Beroun District, near the eponymous town of Žebrák. It was built by the Zajíc family.

Schönborn Palace (Prague)

Photo: VitVit · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Schönborn Palace (Prague)

📍 Prague

The Schönborn Palace (Czech: Schönbornský palác) in the Malá Strana district of Prague is the current home of the United States Embassy to the Czech Republic. The first United States Minister to Czechoslovakia was Richard Crane, the grandson of a Chicago plumbing millionaire.

Lemberk Castle

Photo: Matěj Baťha · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Lemberk Castle

📍 Jablonné v Podještědí

Lemberk Castle (Czech: zámek Lemberk) is a castle in Jablonné v Podještědí in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It is located in the Lusatian Mountains.

Karlova Koruna Chateau

Photo: Lubomír Havrda · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Karlova Koruna Chateau

📍 Chlumec nad Cidlinou

Karlova Koruna (German: Karlskrone) is a château in the town of Chlumec nad Cidlinou in the Czech Republic.

Grabštejn

Photo: Miloslav Rejha · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Grabštejn

📍 Grabštejn

Grabštejn (German: Grafenstein) is a castle in Chotyně in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. Originally a Gothic castle, it was rebuilt in the Renaissance style and later modified in the late Baroque and late Neoclassical styles. It belongs among the most important monuments of the Liberec Region.

How to find them

In the free PrimeMap app you will find all 2,014 places from this page on the map, with descriptions, photos and directions. Open the map wherever you are and see what is nearby.

App Store

Google Play

Descriptions: shortened excerpts from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Photos: Wikimedia Commons, author and licence shown with each image. Locations: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

← All Explore pages