Zvíkov Castle Zvíkov ( , ) , often called " the king of Czech castles " , is a castle located at the junction of the Vltava and Otava rivers , some 15 km north of Písek , in the South Bohemian Region , Czech Republic , next to the village of Zvíkovské Podhradí . It stands on a difficult - to - access and steep promontory above the confluence of the Vltava and Otava rivers . The castle is one of the most important early - Gothic castles in Czech lands . The area was inhabited as early as prehistoric times , when the Celts built a fort here in the 1st century AD . The current castle was built in the first half of the 13th century , most probably on the orders of King Přemysl Otakar I , but the exact date is not known . The first written mention of the castle comes from year 1234 and owned by the Kings of Bohemia . History . Originally a small complex , the castle was continuously extended until 1278 . After the Přemyslid dynasty died out in 1306 , Zvíkov became property of the Rožmberk family . After 1337 the settlement under the castle has been fortified , as a part of thorough repairs . Its fortifications were so strong that even the Hussites , during the Hussite Wars , besieged it for four months in 1429 , but found it a tough nut to crack and failed to take it . To protect against heavy artillery its walls were further strengthened . Although Emperor Charles IV placed it on a list of royal castles not to be pawned , his successors ignored his decree and by 1431 it was in the possession of the Rožmberk dynasty . At the start of Thirty Years ' War Zvíkov was owned by a rebellious Protestant nobleman whose garrison of 140 men successfully defended the castle against 4000 Hapsburg troops in 1618 . The defendants agreed to capitulate to the Emperor ' s forces only in October 1622 . Subsequently it was looted and devastated . During 1640s the Švanberks modified the palace and extended it in Renaissance style . After the damaged inflicted by the war , Zvíkov was restored , but its glory was long gone and the castle served only for farming purposes . A fire accelerated the deterioration of its buildings in 1751 . Thus a once - important seat of Czech kings it had become an almost ruin by the 1840s , at which time the Schwarzenbergs , owners of the ruin , invested huge sums in a thorough reconstruction , which restored the heart of the castle to its former glory . At the end of 17th century it ceased to have military value and was used as grannary . The decline continued and in 1751 fire damaged a large part of the palace . In 1780 the chapel was unblessed . The facade of the palace tumbled down in 1829 and between 1880 and 1902 the castle was reconstructed , only to be confiscated by the state in 1947 . The Orlík Dam , which was built between 1954 and 1962 and named after the Orlík Castle , deluged the castle downtown and made Zvíkov easily accessible . Major restorations between 1970 and 1980 concentrated on the palace . Description . The oldest part of Zvíkov is a massive prismatic residential tower named " Hlízová " with palace buildings built on its sides . During the reign of Ottokar II of Bohemia , a palace named " Královský " ( " King ' s Own " ) was built and this ground plan has been preserved until today . The new palace was built in lavish style and its parts were connected by monumental arcade . After 1473 , Bohuslav of Svamberk commissioned mural decorations in the Chapel of St . Wenceslaus , which belongs to the masterpieces of early - gothic Czech architecture . The walls display the patron saints of Bohemia , the Virgin Mary the Protector , the Suffering Christ and the Martyrdom of St . Erasmus . The fortification was extended with " Hláska " , large 32 meters high tower ( bergfrit ) on the south side . The castle has two gates . The castle has its own ghost , Zvíkov ' s imp , and had inspired several painters and writers like the theatrical comedy " Zvíkovský rarášek " by Ladislav Stroupežnický . Today , Zvíkov ( opened from Spring to Autumn ) is hiking attraction and serves as a place of art exhibitions and stage plays .