The town of Bechyně

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Castle

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Castle

Practically no building remains were kept from the original Přemyslav castle from the 13th century which was erected on the southern part of the rocky promontory. It is supposed there was a built up area around a smaller rectangular court with a big prismatic tower in the north-eastern corner protecting the living space of the castle.

Only a few ground-floor rooms were kept after the massive reconstruction conducted by the Šternberks at the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century. For example, the late gothic hall with rib vault and terracotta ribs, the Šternberks’ stars are depicted in the ribs’ intersections. Wendel Rosskopf was one of the architects from Prague who worked here. In 1515 he built a hall on the ground floor which is conserved till nowadays and which features a unique arching in the middle with a sand column depicting a tree with carved branches.

The present character of the castle is a result of the building activities of Petr Vok from Rožmberk who let the late gothic castle rebuilt into a comfortable Renaissance residence with a well preserved and rich fresco decoration. The last Rožmberk married Kateřina from Ludanice in 1580 in the newly reconstructed Renaissance spaces of the castle. The late gothic granary is worth mentioning from the notable buildings in the castle’s area – now it is V. Preclík’s Museum as well as the riding hall reconstructed in a Romantic style which is now a multifunctional hall. A mighty wall called Čertová (Devil’s wall) attracts the attention in the south of the castle and the warning post set dramatically on the rocky edge over the river Lužnice which most probably was a gothic cutting edge tower controlling the important access road from the bridge to the town.