Přimda Castle

The ruins of  Přimda Castle stand on the top of a rocky ridge above the town of the same name in the northern part of the Bohemian Forest. The first mention of Přimda dates back to 1121; Přimda is thus considered to be the oldest stone castle in our territory. Although the builder of the castle was probably the German margrave Děpolt II of Vohburg, from 1126 at the latest , Přimda belonged to the Czech rulers as an important border fortress that guarded the trade route from Prague and Pilsen to the Upper Palatinate. In addition, it served as a royal prison, where the later king Přemysl Otakar II, among others , was forced to stay. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the castle was often pledged to aristocratic families, especially the lords of Švamberk. The unmaintained castle fell into disrepair and in the 17th century it was already an uninhabited ruin. From the first half of the 12th century, a massive prismatic tower made of quarry stone, lined with granite blocks, has been preserved.