Český Krumlov

Český Krumlov – residence of the South Bohemian aristocracy The city was founded already in the 13th century. In the years 1230-39, Vítek II built an older castle that became the basis of the Krumlov castle, and around 1274 the city of Český Krumlov was founded. Thanks to its ideal location in the meander of the Vltava river, the city flourished from the beginning. The greatest flourishing occurred after the extinction of the Vítkov family in 1302, when by the decision of Wenceslas II. Close relatives from Rožmberk took over the town and the castle. For many years, the castle and the town of Český Krumlov avoided wartime devastation, which, however, was not avoided in the course of the Thirty Years’ War. The end of the Thirty Years’ War meant that the town came under the rule of the Eggenberg family, but that did not last long. After the Eggenbergs died out, the Schwarzenbergs took over the administration of the town and made it the main family seat for many years. We still admire the monumental reconstruction of the castle and the town from the period of Schwarzenberg rule.