I caught the 8am train this morning and traveled 3 hours south to this small town in southern Bohemia. Hluboka nad Vltavou is a small city situated on the Vltava River, with about 5000 inhabitants just 10 km north of the city of České Budějovice. The town itself is surrounded by picturesque countryside with dozens of ponds (Bezdrev) and has rich woods adjacent to the castle and its grounds.
Originally a royal castle, Hluboka was founded together with the neighboring town of České Budějovice in the 13th century by the Czech King Premysl Otakar II. The Schwarzenberg family bought the castle in the 17th century. The castle underwent a complex development, and its appearance has been marked by four reconstructions. In 1871, it obtained its present Neo-Gothic appearance thanks to the Schwarzenberg family, in whose possession the castle had been from 1661. They created an castle with 140 lavishly furnished rooms, eleven towers (the main one is 60 m tall) and bastions, with an indented facade that is dominated by a huge Schwarzenberg heraldry.
I took a chance that the sun might come out today. The entire country has been under a thick layer of clouds all week and today forecast was for the same. BUT, 30 minutes north of Hluboka and the sun came out and stayed out all afternoon until I boarded the train to return to Prague. Wow, great luck! and positive thinking!
From the train station is was a 5km walk to the town and castle!! Phew. But it was a lovely day as I said and a young couple pointed me in the right direction. And I always seem to forget that ALL castles are on the tops of Hills! This place was lovely and so worth the trip.
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