Hluboká nad Vltavou


Hluboká nad Vltavou, until 1912: Podhrad, Frauenberg) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic.

Geography

It is situated on the Vltava river, near České Budějovice. The town is known for the picturesque Tudor-style Hluboká Castle, that is open to the public. The Townshend International School has been based in the town since 1992.

History

Settled since the Bronze Age, the area was the site of medieval Froburg Castle, built high above the Vltava river. Once a possession of the Přemyslid king Ottokar II of Bohemia, it later passed to the Vítkovci dynasty. Again purchased by the Bohemian Crown in the 14th century, it was a favourite residence of Emperor Charles IV, who often visited the castle when residing in České Budějovice.
Held by the local noble William II of Pernstein from 1490 onwards, castle and town prospered. Though seized by French forces in the Thirty Years' War, the acquisition by the House of Schwarzenberg in 1661 brought even greater wealth to the area. After a blaze in 1742, the medieval fortress was slighted and rebuilt as a chateau. A Jewish community arose in the late 17th century, however, a synagogue was not erected until 1907.
The present-day municipality arose in 1850, then part of the Budweis district. The majority of the population was Czech-speaking. The town was renamed after the castle Hluboká/Frauenberg in 1912.

Notable people

Hluboká nad Vltavou is twinned with: