Nové Hrady (České Budějovice District)
Nové Hrady (; ) is a town in České Budějovice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,500 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Administrative parts. Villages of Byňov, Nakolice, Obora, Štiptoň, Údolí, Veveří and Vyšné are administrative parts of Nové Hrady. Geography. Nové Hrady (literally "New Castles") lies in the Gratzen Mountains (), which are named after the town, one Czech-Austrian border. It lies about southeast of České Budějovice on the Stropnice river. the area is rich in fish  ponds, the establishment of which has a long tradition here. The largest ponds are Byňovský with , Nakolický and Kachní. The highest peaks are Vyhlídka with above sea level and Veveří with , the highest point of the municipal territory overall is the border with Austia in Gratzen Mountains with an altitude of about . History. The first written mention of Nové Hrady is from 1279. It was founded as a guard point at the entrance to the Kingdom of Bohemia, later an important manor house was established here, near which a settlement with a predominance of German-speaking population raised. At the  beginning of the 14th century, Nové Hrady was a property of Lords of Landštejn. In 1359, they sold the manor to the Rosenberg family, who significantly extended the manor. In 1368, Nové Hrady became a town with privileges similar to royal towns. In 1425, the town and the castle were conquered and burned down by Hussites. Nové Hrady recovered ten years later. In 1488, Vladislaus II gave the town new privileges and confirmed its coat of arms. In 1589, during the rule of William of Rosenberg, the first glassworks was established and until the 19th century, many other were established . In the late 16th century, Jakub Krčín worked here and established new ponds. In 1611, Nové Hrady was inherited by Jan Jiří of Schwamberg. During the Thirty Years' War in 1619, the town was conquered, looted and burned down, but the castle survived. In 1620, Charles Bonaventure, Count of Bucquoy acquired the castle by negotiating, and the Nové Hrady manor was donated to him by Ferdinand II for his services. Since then until the revolution in 1848, Nové Hrady was owned by Lords of Bucquoy.