Dívčí hrady, castle ruin in Pavlov, Czech Republic

Děvičky, also called Dívčí hrady or Maidenburg, is a ruined Gothic castle on a limestone rock at 428 m on the northern edge of the Děvín ridge in the Pavlov Hills. The photograph shows two separate parts of pale grey stone: a small square building with a flat top and small window openings on the left, and on the right a long low wall running between a round tower and a square tower. The perimeter walls and a Renaissance bastion with loopholes survive.

Děvičky was first mentioned in 1222 as a royal border castle named Dewiczky; its first burgrave was Štěpán of Medlov, founder of the Pernštejn family. Probably wooden at first, it was restored at the end of the 13th century, granted in 1334 as a fief to the Liechtensteins, and rebuilt by Sigismund of Dietrichstein from 1572 as a residence about 65 m long. Swedish troops plundered and burned it after Jankov, and it was abandoned by the early 19th century.

The name Děvičky (Maidberg, Maidenburg) comes from legends about three petrified girls standing as three rock cliffs in front of the castle: in one version a Tatar princess and her companions, in another the three daughters of the lord Arnulf, whom the devilish Trabaccio wanted to dishonour, in a third three disobedient castle daughters cursed by their mother. On quiet nights a soft wail is said to come from these stones.

The walk to reach the ruins starts from Pavlov village and climbs through forested terrain, gaining about 400 meters in elevation along the trail. The visit is most enjoyable in dry weather, as the path becomes slippery when wet.

The castle's first known burgrave, Štěpán of Medlov, founded the Pernštejn family and also administered Veveří Castle. According to Pulkava's chronicle, burgrave Crha of Ceblovice was captured by Austrians and had an eye gouged out, yet refused to surrender the castle.