Kreuzberg was first mentioned as Cruceberg in a document in 893. Around 1100, the settlement came under the ownership of the Counts of Are, who built an initial residential house for one of their administrators on Kreuzberg. It is often stated that the bergfried (keep) of the castle was built during the 15th century. However, it is quite possible that this part of Burg Kreuzberg belongs to the oldest section of the complex and dates back to the 14th century. French troops destroyed the castle in 1686.
Today the main castle rises on an almost triangular ground plan, following the structure of the artificial castle plateau. The area is surrounded by the inner curtain wall. On the north side of the main castle area stands the baroque, two-story residential building made of rubble stones.
The Jan Hus Memorial stands at one end of Old Town Square. The huge monument depicts victorious Hussite warriors and Protestants who were forced into exile 200 years after Hus, and a young mother who symbolises national rebirth. The monument was so large that the sculptor designed and built his own villa and studio where the work could be carried out. It was unveiled in 1915 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Jan Hus' martyrdom. The memorial was designed by Ladislav Šaloun and paid for solely by public donations.
Born in 1369, Hus became an influential religious thinker, philosopher, and reformer in Prague. He was a key predecessor to the Protestant movement of the sixteenth century. In his works he criticized religious moral decay of the Catholic Church. Accordingly, the Czech patriot Hus believed that mass should be given in the vernacular, or local language, rather than in Latin. He was inspired by the teachings of John Wycliffe.