Hluboká nad Vltavou castle - a romance frozen in stone

In the southern part of the Czech Republic, next to the city of Ceske Budejovice, surrounded by a magnificent park on a cliff 83 m high, stands the Hluboká nad Vltavou castle.

Even if you are going to ignore all the other attractions of the Czech Republic, be sure to arrange an excursion to this castle. And take a note of the recommendations posted here, which were compiled from the words of experienced tourists, as well as see beautiful photos of Hluboka nad Vltavou.

Briefly about the history of the attraction

The history of the castle Hluboká nad Vltavou began in the XIII century, although then the name was different - Frauenberg. Yes, and the appearance too: then it was a powerful, well-fortified Gothic fortress. During the first 400 years of the complex’s existence, 26 owners changed: some were not able to support it, some were inferior to powerful rulers for political reasons.

In the XVII century the castle passed into the possession of the Schwarzenbergs, who were considered perhaps the most influential family in Europe. Even before the middle of the XIX century, the castle was equipped with the residence of Johann Adolf II, the 12th Duke of Krumlov, who was a descendant of the Schwarzenberg family. Choosing the grandiose Windsor Castle in England as a model, Johann Adolf II and his wife Princess Eleanor spent thirty years rebuilding the castle.

Descendants of a noble family lived in the family estate until 1939, and in 1947 the castle was included in the national treasures of the state and opened for excursions.

What may interest Hluboká nad Vltavou

If you are constrained in time or in finances, you can limit yourself to visiting the castle from the outside and a walk in the park surrounding it. Even such an acquaintance is enough to experience surprise and admiration, because once you enter the territory of the complex, you begin to feel yourself in a fairy tale.

The modern version of the building has been preserved since the first half of the 19th century. The majestic light building is decorated with "airy" lace balconies, magnificent spiral staircases of the garden gallery, intricate bas-reliefs, towers towering upwards with spiers. There are 11 towers, each of them is unique and has its own height, and the highest is defensive.

Advice! It is interesting that from whatever side you take a photo of the park and the castle Hluboká nad Vltavou in the Czech Republic, you get a real postcard! But do not run with the camera, trying to capture absolutely everything. Enjoy the atmosphere, “absorb” the mood reigning around - then the pleasure is guaranteed to you!

If you decide to visit the interior, you will find even more vivid impressions. To get acquainted with the castle complex, several tourist routes are organized, each of which has its own cost and its duration. It must be said that each hall and salon has such a luxurious and beautiful design that it is impossible to recommend one thing for inspection - absolutely everything is interesting and deserves attention.

The main sightseeing route introduces visitors to the public side of the Schwarzenberg life. The tour includes visits to the luxurious reception rooms, lounges, smoking room, reception rooms of Eleanor, library and reading room, castle arsenal.

The castle’s library is unique, with 12,000 books in 5 languages. Giant Earth and Sky globes are also installed here, paintings by Dutch masters of the 16th-18th centuries are placed, and there are various artifacts related to the history of the Schwarzenberg family. This is the largest of all the local halls; it is illuminated by 7 richly decorated chandeliers.

The arsenal of the castle is one of the largest of its kind in all of Europe. It contains weapons of 7 centuries - from the XIII to the XIX century. The collection also includes knightly armor, among which a children's specimen weighing about 20 kg is especially interesting.

The walls of the large dining room are decorated with the largest collection of valuable 17th-century Flemish tapestries in the Czech Republic. Their main topics are: proverbs, symbols of Buddhism.

Particular attention is drawn to the walls and ceilings of many rooms inside the castle of Hluboká nad Vltavou - even photos convey their magnificent beauty. They are covered with wood with refined carvings made on it. One example of a refined carved decor is the frame of the mirror hanging on the wall in the reading room (it was created by 5 famous masters).

Interesting! The mirror itself, according to popular belief, is considered magical: a person who looks at it will forever remain young. Check it out!

This excursion route is laid on the 1st and 2nd floor. There are personal apartments (office, bedroom), rooms for servants, original bathrooms with toilet and bath.

A lot of attention is paid to hunting, as one of the most important aspects of the life of the owners of the castle complex and their friends. Many visitors are most interested in the hunting dining room, which houses the most diverse hunting trophies of representatives of a noble family.

In technical terms, passenger and freight elevators designed at the beginning of the twentieth century are interesting.

The third tourist route around the castle Hluboká nad Vltavou in the Czech Republic is the kitchen. It is equipped in the basement on the north side of the structure so that the smells of cooked dishes do not spread throughout the premises. The kitchen is divided into 3 zones, each of which is designed for cooking different dishes (hot, cold appetizers, confectionery).

The kitchen is equipped in accordance with the latest technical capabilities of the time. There are huge tanks for heating water, stoves and stoves, temperature-controlled ovens, a device with self-rotating skewers for baking meat over an open fire, a mechanical potato and apple peeler, an elevator for serving food to the canteens.

In season, and only in clear weather, tourists have access to the tower with an observation deck. Unlike previous routes, visiting the tower has no time limits and takes place without the participation of a guide.

Climbing to the observation deck cannot be called too easy, because it is located at an altitude of 58 m and has 245 steps leading to it. But the picturesque views of the surroundings of the castle Gluboka nad Vltavou and their photos are well worth the effort.

How to get to the castle from Prague

From Prague to the castle Hluboká nad Vltavou is not so far - only 140 km to the south. You can overcome this distance on your own, or you can use the services of tour operators who recruit excursion groups and organize trips from the Czech capital.

Advice! The few hours that Prague travel agencies provide for exploring the Hluboká Castle will be few. To get acquainted with this fabulous place, it is advisable to set aside one day and plan an independent trip.

Let’s take a closer look at how to get to the Hluboká nad Vltavou Castle from Prague.

You need to change trains from the Czech capital to the castle: from the main railway station to České Budějovice, and from there to the Gluboka nad Vltavou - Zamosti station. The total travel time is a little less than 3 hours, and the total cost is about 200 CZK. The Gluboka nad Vltavou - Zamosti station is located 1.5 km from Gluboky, on the other side of the river, and right there you can catch bus number 4 and go to the castle (Sports Areal stop).

From the Roztyly bus station, which operates in the southern part of Prague, there is a direct connection to Hluboká nad Vltavou. The trip lasts almost 3 hours, the price is 120 CZK.

There is another option, but with a change. First you need to get to the less well-known Prague Na Knizeci bus station (not far from the Florenc bus station) - the metro line B is perfect for this, you need to go to the Andel stop. Buses from Student agency to Na Cize Budejovice depart from Na Knizeci, where you will need to change trains. It is important to remember that tickets for Student Student flights are sold at the company’s offices, which are located at the Florenc bus station, at the central railway station and at 25 Revolucni address. The cost of the ticket to Ceske Budejovice is about 165 kroons, travel time 2 hours 20 minutes.

From Ceske Budejovice to Hluboka nad Vltavou, the bus leaves from platforms No. 13 and 14, which are located near the bus arrival point from Prague. The fare is paid by the driver (up to 25 crowns), and the travel time is 20-30 minutes.

Arrival in Hluboka nad Vltavou is to the stop “Under the Church”, from where you can take the bus number 4 to the “Sporting area” bus.

Advice! In total, the entire path from the square with the church to the castle fits into 300 m, and this path is very picturesque. But a neat paved road constantly rises, and not for all such an ascent will be comfortable. Therefore, you can drive to the castle in a tourist train - this is more interesting than taking a regular bus, and easier than going on foot.

Practical information

The address where the described attraction is located is: Zamek 142, Hluboká nad Vltavou 373 41, Czech Republic.

The famous Czech landmark Hluboká nad Vltavou welcomes guests throughout the year:

• From April 1 to October 31, all the excursion routes described above are available.
• From November 1 to March 31, only the Winter Visitor Route is valid. It passes through private apartments located on the ground floor, provides visits to the hunting room and some other rooms.

The day off when the castle is completely closed to visitors is Monday. But there is an exception: in July and August, when the Czech Republic has the largest influx of tourists, there are no days off at all.

Opening hours vary depending on the season, although the lunch break at the box office remains unchanged: from 12:00 to 12:30. Working hours are:

• in January - March and in November-December: from 10:00 to 16:00;
• in April, and also in September - October: from 9:00 to 16:30;
• in May - August: from 9:00 to 17:00.

When planning a visit to the famous sights of the Czech Republic, it is advisable to clarify the schedule, because public holidays may be a day off. Any changes are indicated on the official website: www.zamek-hluboka.eu/en/.

You can walk around the park, see the castle from the outside, and visit the courtyards for free. In addition, the box office, which sells tickets for entering the interior, is located in the depths of the second courtyard.

The ticket price depends on the chosen excursion and on escort (tour guide or audio guide). Children under 6 years old are in any case allowed free of charge, and pensioners, schoolchildren and students up to 26 years old can get a discount. There is also a family ticket for 2 adults and 3 children. Below are the prices indicated in Czech currency - kroons:

Route "Executive rooms"

Private apartment tour

Excursion to the castle kitchen

Winter visitor route

You can climb to the observation deck of the tower:

• adults for 100 CZK;
• at a discount for 70 crowns;
• for a family ticket for 260 CZK.

A guided tour of Gluboka nad Vltavou can be held outside the office hours, but it needs to be ordered, and it will cost 2 times more.

To reserve a place, you need to pay an extra 10 crowns.

Advice! There are no personal audio guides, but foreigners are offered printouts in different languages, including Russian. These printouts are very well written and are convenient to use during excursions.

Another tip instead of a conclusion

Not far from the entrance to the castle Hluboká nad Vltavou, as well as in the greenhouse, there are trading shops. There you can buy good souvenirs for the memory of a trip to the Czech Republic: postcards, magnets, beautiful handmade jewelry.

Video walk around the castle and the city.