Zvíkov Castle is a castle in the district of Písek, in the region of South Bohemia, Czech Republic.
Zvíkov Castle is one of the oldest castles in southern Bohemia. The medieval fortress was originally built during the reign of Wenceslas I. It was completed by Přemysl Otakar II who made it a royal fortress. During the Hussite wars, the castle victoriously resisted the Hussites (1428). Remodeled several times to give it its current, very Renaissance appearance, the castle belonged to the Rožmberk, Eggenberk and Schwarzenberg families.
It is located on a rocky promontory which dominates the confluence of the Otava and the Vltava, in the municipality of Zvíkovské Podhradí. He is nicknamed “the King of Czech castles”.
Access : Coordinates: 49.437, 14.1885 / Zvíkov Castle located in the municipality of Okres Písek and the county of Southern Bohemia, in the central part of the country, 70 km south of the capital Prague.
Highlights :
- There is an arcade in the inner courtyard. A prismatic tower was built in the eastern part. From the first fortifications, a humpbacked ashlar tower, which was erroneously called the Marcomannic Tower because of its stonemason’s mark, and parts of the wall are still preserved today. The chapel is decorated with French wall paintings from the 15th century. Overall, the building has a Gothic style with covered battlements and low defense towers.
- At the confluence of the Otava and Vltava rivers, it is the starting point for picturesque hiking trails. Bridges easily connect it to Milevsko and Písek. From the castle there are also boat connections to other areas of interest, such as the Orlík dam lake.
- The village of Zvíkovské Podhradí takes full advantage of the large number of tourists visiting the castle. Several hotels have been built there.
- The area around the confluence of the Otava and Vltava rivers has been declared a Bird Area in the Vltava and Otava valleys. It is home to the population of the largest European owl, the great owl and at the same time the smallest European owl.
Go next : The village of Zvíkovské Podhradí / The nearest larger community is Písek, 14.8 km south of Zvíkov Castle.
