The castle was initially built in 1241 by Zdeslav of Divisov, later called Zdeslav Sternberg
The castle was initially built in 1241 by Zdeslav of Divisov, later called Zdeslav Sternberg. The development of new firearms in the 14th century posed an unexpected threat to the defensibility of the castle. Its 13th century architects hadn't foreseen the danger of long-range firearms and its reinforcement became a necessity. During this period the Český Šternberk castle's fortifications were improved through the construction in the north of a three-story tower, which was connected to the castle by a rampart. In 1467 the castle was seized by the royal armies of George of Poděbrady (Czech: Jiří z Poděbrad). Later, the ruined castle was regained by Šternberk's aristocracy, who, by the turn of the 15th to 16th century, had reconstructed the castle, renewed its defensive system and expanded it with the construction of a new cylindrical tower in the south and the Dungeon in the north. The castle managed to survive the looting of the rebels in 1627, during the Thirty Years' War. With the death of Jan Václav in 1712, the Holicý branch of the Sternberg family died out and its ownership passed to other families, who in 1751 built the lower palace next to the surrounding wall.
The ownership of the castle was returned to the Sternberg family in 1841 when Zdeněk of Sternberg from the Konopiště branch of the family bought it. It remained in Sternberg's ownership until 1949 when it was "nationalized" by the Communist government of the Republic of Czechoslovakia. The family moved to a small flat in Prague and Jiří Sternberk, agreed to work as a steward in his own property and gave tours within the castle, which became a sightseeing spot. After the fall of Communism and the Velvet Revolution, in 1992, thanks to the restitution's law, Český Šternberk castle returned to Jiří's son, the count Zdeněk Sternberg, the current owner of the castle.
- Adults: 150 CZK
- Seniors (over 60): 100 CZK
- Children (4-15 years): 100 CZK
- Students (under 26): 100 CZK
- Family (2 adults + max 3 children): 400 CZK
Foreign language interpretation(English, German, Russian, French):
- Adults: 230 CZK
- Children (4-15 years old), students (under 26): 160 CZK
Interpretation with a translator (only for groups with their own interpreter,it is not possible to translate into German, English and French):
- Adults: 180 CZK
- Children (4-15 years old), students (under 26): 130 CZK