Czechia · Partial ruin
Sloup Castle
Sloup Castle is a rock castle carved into a freestanding 35-metre sandstone pillar above the surrounding plain near Sloup v Čechách. The complex combines rock-hewn chambers, terraces and masonry infill on the outcrop and was later adapted by hermits who carved a chapel and cells into the stone. Today the carved spaces, well and terraced walkways remain visible amid the ruined plateau.
First raised
1324
Its prime
1750
Today
Partial ruin
As it stood in 1750
What Sloup Castle looked like in its prime.
A single, freestanding 35-metre-high pillar of pale warm sandstone rising from flat countryside, its summit a level plateau whose edges were carved to imitate curtain walls with narrow loopholes and masonry filling some gullies; rock-cut terraces step down the southern slope; multiple chambers and passages are hewn directly into the stone face, including a sunken well and recessed prayer niches; a small rock chapel and hermit cells are cut into a sheltered side, and rough terraced walkways link the openings.
Its story
The story of Sloup Castle.
Sloup is a rock castle cut into a freestanding 35-metre sandstone pillar rising above the plain at Sloup v Čechách in northern Bohemia. It was established by the Ronovec family beside the salt trade route running from Meissen to Česká Lípa, and is first mentioned in records dating from 1324, when it was owned by Čeněk of Ojvína.
The outcrop was later adapted by hermits, who carved a chapel and cells directly into the stone alongside the castle's rock-hewn chambers, terraces and masonry infill. After the hermitage ceased to exist, the owners, the Kinsky family, turned the complex into a romantic tourist attraction.
The carved chambers, the well and the terraced walkways remain visible amid the ruined plateau. Sloup is now a favoured place for outings, and candlelit concerts and historical jousting matches are occasionally held on the rock.
Step inside
10 places to explore in 1750.
The record describes 10 distinct spots at Sloup Castle — including 5 interiors: rock-cut entrance and passage, chapel carved into the rock, hermit cell and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and walk through every one — more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.
Create History
Recreate Sloup Castle with AI to explore it.
The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1750 — a photoreal walk that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.
Recreate this castle →Whose castle
Clans who held Sloup Castle.
The families that held Sloup Castle for a decade or more across its history — follow a name to its clan.
Ronovec
Established the rock castle beside the Meissen–Česká Lípa salt road; first recorded 1324.
Kinsky
Owners after the hermitage era, who opened the rock as a romantic attraction.
