Hluboká nad Vltavou
Hluboká nad Vltavou (; until 1885 "Podhrad", ) is a town in České Budějovice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,500 inhabitants. The town is known for the Hluboká Castle. Administrative parts. Villages of Bavorovice, Buzkov, Hroznějovice, Jaroslavice, Jeznice, Kostelec, Líšnice, Munice, Poněšice and Purkarec are administrative parts of Všemyslice. Geography. Hluboká nad Vltavou is situated on both banks of the Vltava river, near České Budějovice. There are many fish ponds in the municipal territory. The town itself lies on the shore of the largest of them, which is Munický pond with  an area of . The northern part of the large municipal territory is covered by forests. The highest point of the territory is the hill Velký Kameník with above sea level. History. History of the town is connected with a castle, which was founded together with the city of České Budějovice by King Ottokar II of Bohemia on a rocky promontory above the Vltava river. A settlement was founded under the castle and named "Podhrad" (literally meaning "Undercastle"). The castle later passed to the Vítkovci dynasty. Again purchased by the royal chamber in the 14th century, it was a favourite residence  of Emperor Charles IV, who often visited the castle when residing in České Budějovice. Held by the local noble Vilém II of Pernštejn from 1490 onwards, castle and town prospered. In 1496, the settlement was promoted to a market town. Though seized by French forces in the Thirty Years' War, the acquisition by the Schwarzenberg family in 1661 brought even greater wealth to the area. After a blaze in 1742, the medieval fortress was slighted and rebuilt into a Renaissance castle, then between 1839 and 1871 into the current Neo-Gothic castle. A Jewish community ("Qahal") arose in the late  17th century, however, a synagogue was not erected until 1907. The present-day municipality arose in 1850. The majority of the population was Czech-speaking. The town was renamed after the castle Hluboká Castle in 1885. In 1907, Hluboká became a town by decision of Franz Joseph I. Education. The Townshend International School has been based in the town since 1992. Sights. The main landmark of Hluboká nad Vltavou is the Tudor-style Hluboká Castle. Every year it is one of the most visited castle in the country. The second significant castle in Hluboká nad Vltavou is Ohrada Castle. It  is a Baroque hunting castle built in 1708–1713. In 1842, the Hunting Museum, one of the oldest museums in the country, was established here. It still exist under the name Museum of Forestry, Hunting and Fishing, and is administered by National Museum of Agriculture in Prague. Next to the castle there is a zoological garden, colloquially known as Ohrada Zoo. It breeds about 300 species of animals. Twin towns – sister cities. Hluboká nad Vltavou is twinned with: