The castle stands on a limestone peninsula carved by the Smotrych River. The article gives conflicting dates: the early 14th century in historical accounts, the second half of the 14th century in the traditional view, and the end of the 12th or start of the 13th century from 1960s excavations. Spytek of Melsztyn modernized it around 1400 and added ten towers. About 150 years later the military engineer Hiob Bretfus built the New Western and Eastern Towers and an underground gallery.
The New Castle was built to resist field armies and carry artillery. The northern terrace walls run 1,102 feet (336 m), and the castle bridge is 289 feet (88 m) long.
A museum reconstruction began in 1937, and restoration work has continued since 1962. It is a museum and one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine, and has been on UNESCO's tentative list since 1989.
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