Gamberk castle is closely related to one of more important ministerial families of late Middle Ages - Galls. According to Valvasor the castle was built by Ortolf III. of Svibno already in 1040 and in 1074 - Valvasors references Schönleben as a source for this information - Oto of Svibno was named after this castle. Modern historians believe that it's not until second half of 12^th century when Gall family has started to come from Bavaria to Carniola as ministerials of house of Andechs even if they did not reside here permanently until 1228. It is certain that it is not until the time of Henrik Andechs after 1223 when Konrad Gall establishes himself as an important knight in a circle of ministerials from Carniola. First indirect mentioning of the castle is from 1248 when it is referred to as Gallenberch but its typical design allows the castle to be built before year 1200.
In the 14^th century Gamberk castle is stil a property of Gall-Gallenberg family even if they have moved their seat to a newly built Gallenstein castle near Podpeč south from Sava in Lower Carinthia already in the second half of 13^th century and their other family branch moved to Rožek in Moravče. Gamberk at the time still controlled provincial court of law even though the castle itself began to lose its importance, but the have supposedly Galls lost the dominion in the same century. It is definite that the castle was owned by house of Šternberg at the beginning of 15^th century and they have sold it to Habsburgs in 1443.
House of Habsburg was leasing the castle or giving it out to stewards. In 1461 the castle's steward was Konrad noble Apfaltrer and in 1546 the castle was in the hands of Franc noble Altenhaus. Two years later Ferdinand I. along with tithe on Trojane pawned the castle to Hans noble Rechberg for the sum of 5.500 fl., but already in 1553 the castle became a lien of Jakob noble Lamberg. With the consent of the emperor he extended medieval tower design into a luxurious Renaissance residence.
Gamberk remained as a property of Lambergs until 1630s and then in 1640 it was sold by its owner at the time Jurij Žiga count Paradeiser to Jernej - Bartolomej baron Valvasor, father of Slovene historiographer. He was in 1661 succeeded by Luenburg family and in 1677 Poor Clares order from ljubljana have bought the castle but sold it the same year to Gašper noble Lichtenturn.
According to Valvasor, Andrej Ksaverij baron Lichtenturn, son of Gašper, has repaired the castle very nicely and added quite a few things to it. Inside. The castle was in Lichtenturn's hands until 1769 after which some other owners followed, like Montanists between 1804 and 1830. In the middle of 19^th century it was a property of mining share holders company which was using the castle as a vacation resort. After 1875 a few private owners followed until it was completely abandoned two decades later. But as we can see from a sketch by Hinko Kartin its surrounding walls were fifty years later still as high as projecting roof in the second floor.

Currently the castle is undergoing reconstruction works.