Oldest in Bohemia
Přimda is the oldest surviving stone castle in Bohemia. This year it celebrates 900 years since its first written mention.
Nine centuries above the Český les
Stone that remembers
Přimda is more than a ruin. It is the oldest surviving stone castle in Bohemia – a Romanesque keep whose walls have stood on the rock above the town for nine hundred years. In 1121 the chronicler Cosmas describes an unnamed stone castle near Bělá; Přimda itself is named explicitly five years later, in 1126.
Soběslav II and Ottokar II were both held prisoner behind its walls. Inside the tower a garderobe has survived – the oldest known toilet in the Czech lands. The castle once had an upper and a lower courtyard and three gates; we know what it looked like from inspection records made in 1592.
The castle’s full story
900
years since the first mention
1126
year the castle was first recorded
848 m
above sea level – the castle hill
1st
oldest stone castle in Bohemia
Did you know…
Eight things few people know about Přimda
From the oldest toilet in Bohemia to a rock blasted away in the 1970s – the castle has more stories than meets the eye.
The castle toilet
Built into the walls of the keep (donjon) is a rare garderobe – the oldest surviving toilet in the Czech lands.
First mention
In 1121 the chronicle of Cosmas describes an unnamed castle near Bělá, but Přimda is named explicitly only in 1126.
Royal prison
Soběslav II and Ottokar II were both held prisoner behind Přimda’s walls – the castle served as a jail for the nobility.
Original layout
The castle had an upper and a lower courtyard and three gates in all. Today’s ruin is only a fraction of its former extent.
A lost entrance
The present access path was created only in the 1970s, by blasting away part of the rock.
Written evidence
We know what the castle looked like thanks to surviving inspection records from 1592.
Rare nature
The castle’s surroundings are a nature reserve on the edge of the Český les Protected Landscape Area.
Funding the viewing platform
- Estimated budget
- CZK 3,500,000
- Donations received
- CZK 537,670
- Public grant
- not yet approved
15% of the budget secured
Updated 30 September 2026 · figures are refreshed once a week
Help us bring Přimda Castle back to life
A viewing platform inside the tower
The Přimda Castle Association is working to build an internal viewing platform in the castle tower. We want visitors to be able to look out over the land again, just as people did from Přimda for centuries. Anyone can take part – with a donation or with their own hands.
Czech banking apps can scan the QR code. From abroad, please use the IBAN on the Support us page.
That tower has stood on its rock for nine hundred years. It would be a shame to let the forest swallow it – all it takes is for each of us to do a little. Spolek pro hrad Přimda, z.s.