The royal castle of Bezděz is one of the most important Gothic castles in the Czech lands.Founded by Přemysl Otakar II anderected on the phonolite hill of Velký Bezděz, it became the characteristic dominant feature of the local landscape.Constructed in 1260-80, it met the demands for an inaccessible as well as respectable royal castle.
A year after Přemysl’s death, Bezděz became the place of imprisonment of Queen Kunhuta and her underage son Wenceslas (Václav) II, kept under lock and key by Otto Margrave of Brandenburg after the Battle of Marchfeld. Albrecht of Wallenstein turned the castle into a monastery for the Benedictines from Monserrat, who brought a copy of the Madonna of Moserrat in 1666, and so the castle became a pilgrimage site. It was abandoned in the 18th century.
Parts that are accessible to visitors are the castle precincts including the royal palace, burgrave's house and the unique early Gothic Chapel.The castle tower offers a stunning view of the surrounding landscape.The castle’s romantic silhouette has attracted a number of artists, including the poet Karel Hynek Mácha.