A visit to Zvíkov, the ‘king of Czech castles’, starting in Zvíkovské Podhradí – 4 km
- Zvíkov is one of Bohemia’s most dramatically situated medieval castles. Perched on a rocky outcrop at the confluence of the Vltava and Otava rivers, the castle already held a formidable strategic position in the Middle Ages. However, the modern creation of the Orlík reservoir (in the 1960’s) has enhanced the impression of a virtually impregnable fortress almost completely surrounded by water.
- Zvíkov was called the ‘king of Bohemian castles’ by the 19th century historian August Sedláček, who spent 20 years creating an astonishing fifteen volume catalogue of Bohemian fortresses. Zvíkov is one of the finest early Gothic castles in the country, commissioned in the 13th century by the Přemyslid rulers of Bohemia. The castle survived the 15th century Hussite wars (and remained in royal hands despite the efforts of the besieging Hussite troops). In the 17th century 30 Years’ War, a garrison of 140 Protestant soldiers successfully defended the castle against a force of 4000 Catholic troops belong to the Hapsburg army.
- Today, Zvíkov owes is well preserved state to the reconstruction undertaken by the Schwarzenberg noble family in the 19th century. The Schwarzenbergs acquired the ruined castle in the early 18th century, when a branch of the family moved to the nearby Orlík chateau. The interior of Zvíkov castle can be visited on a guided tour (May to October), but the grounds of the castle are open year-round.
- There are several walking trails which pass close to Zvíkov castle, including the trails along the Vltava and Otava rivers, some of which can be founded elsewhere in this guide. However, for a short walk, start in the nearby village of Zvíkovské Podhradí (which has the nearest bus stop – 2 km from the castle). On the return journey consider a stop for refreshments in the fine brewery restaurant Pivovarský dvůr Zvíkov.
- The route from the village is partly on the public road and partly on a forest footpath (if walking with a stroller consider staying on the public road all the way to the castle entrance). There is 90m of height to ascend-descend on the 4 km round trip to the castle and back.
Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.com’ to go to a full screen version of the route directly on the mapy.com site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file.
Directions
- From Zvíkovské Podhradí village (which has bus connections with Písek) follow the GREEN hiking trail for 2 km to reach the castle entrance
- After exploring the castle, return on the same trail, or stay on the public road to visit the brewery restaurant, which is 1 km from the castle entrance
