How to Find a Stronghold in Minecraft and What’s Hidden Inside

Minecraft strongholds: mysterious underground structures brimming with secrets, dangers, and valuable rewards. Ready to brave their dark corridors and face the lurking monsters? This guide is your key to exploring these ancient catacombs.

Table of Contents

• What is a Stronghold in Minecraft
• How to Find a Stronghold in Minecraft
• Eye of Ender
• The Locate Command
• Stronghold Rooms
• Library
• Prison
• Fountain
• Secret Rooms
• Altar
• Stronghold Mobs
• Rewards
• Portal to the Ender Dragon

What is a Stronghold in Minecraft?

Strongholds are ancient, underground complexes filled with winding corridors, prisons, libraries, and more. Beyond the valuable loot scattered throughout, they hold the key to the game's final challenge: a portal to The End and the Ender Dragon. You won't stumble upon a stronghold by accident; finding one requires a specific method.

The portal is activated using Eyes of Ender, detailed in the next section. Extensive digging won't reveal these hidden structures.

How to Find a Stronghold in Minecraft

Eye of Ender

This is the intended method for locating a stronghold. Craft Eyes of Ender using Blaze Powder (from Blaze rods dropped by Blazes) and Ender Pearls (obtained by killing Endermen, trading with villager priests, or finding them in stronghold chests).

Throw an Eye of Ender; it will float briefly in the direction of the nearest stronghold. Remember, Eyes of Ender are consumable. You'll need many (around 30 in survival mode) to locate and reach the stronghold.

The Locate Command

For a less conventional (and arguably unfair) approach, enable cheats in your game settings and use this command:

/locate structure stronghold (for versions 1.20 and above)

This provides approximate coordinates. Use /tp to teleport to the location, but be prepared for some exploration, as the coordinates aren't perfectly precise.

Stronghold Rooms

Library

Libraries are spacious rooms with high ceilings, bookshelves, and chests containing enchanted books and other valuable resources. They're often tucked away within the stronghold's maze-like structure.

Prison

A confusing labyrinth of narrow corridors and dimly lit cells, populated by hostile mobs like skeletons, zombies, and creepers. Navigating the prison requires caution and preparedness.

Fountain

A central chamber featuring a water fountain, adding a mystical element to the stronghold's overall atmosphere.

Secret Rooms

Hidden chambers behind walls, often containing traps and valuable loot. Careful exploration is crucial.

Altar

An eerie room with a central stone structure, possibly an ancient ritual site.

Stronghold Mobs

Expect encounters with skeletons, creepers, and silverfish within the stronghold. While manageable with basic gear, these mobs still pose a threat.

Rewards

Stronghold chests offer random rewards, including enchanted books, iron and diamond armor, and more.

Portal to the Ender Dragon

The stronghold culminates in the portal to The End and the final boss battle against the Ender Dragon, marking the end of the main storyline in Minecraft survival mode. Exploring the stronghold itself offers a rewarding adventure before facing this ultimate challenge.