The castle was founded in the 11th century on the site of the original Great Moravian fortification and it was the first of a chain of castles to protect the southern border of the Přemyslid state. The first written mention of Bítov Castle comes from the year 1061. The castle was founded on a spur on the left bank of the Želetavka stream. The castle was divided into three parts separated by each other. His appearance did not differ much from the older fortifications. Bítov took an important place in the Znojmo principled principality and stopped the German colonization of the north.