Čeněk of Wartenberg is credited with establishing the castle in the second half of the 14th century, although archaeology suggests it was founded well before its first written mention in 1396. The article names no architect or style. The castle sits on two basalt volcanic plugs, the lower Baba at 154 feet (47 m) and the higher Panna at 187 feet (57 m), with three rings of fortified walls.
It burned shortly before 1428, and the Imperial Army burned it completely in 1648, leaving it a ruin. In the 19th century romantic modifications included a staircase to the Panna tower begun in 1841 to 1843 and never completed. The Czech Tourist Club restored it from 1923.
The Czech state has owned it since 1925. A staircase to Baba was built in 1999 and 2000, and a steel observation deck was added in 2024.
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