Zvíkov

The "king of Czech castles" — a 13th-century royal castle on the spit where the Otava meets the Vltava, both rivers now the arms of the Orlík reservoir.

Zvíkov earned its nickname “king of Czech castles” the direct way: a royal foundation of the 13th century, built by the last Přemyslids on the rock spit above the confluence of the Otava and the Vltava, with the archaic Hlízová tower at its core and an early-Gothic palace around a two-storey arcaded courtyard. The Orlík dam raised the rivers into reservoir arms in the 1960s, which softened the gorge but left the castle riding its headland above the water.

The castle is state-owned and open seasonally; the bridge at Zvíkovské Podhradí below carries walkers across the Vltava arm, and river-cruise boats call at the landing in summer. Trails follow both banks — the Otava side towards Písek, the Vltava side towards the Žďákov bridge and Orlík chateau.