Royal Palace
This significant structure of Czech castle architecture was built in the second half of the 13th century by the Písek-Zvíkov building smeltery for the Bohemian King Přemysl Otakar II who personally oversaw its construction. The castle stood at the outskirts of town and its projection was truly grandiose. The modest courtyard was surrounded by four arcade wings with three fortification towers, representational rooms including a chapel and two large halls on the first floor.
The town bought the castle in 1509, but the next several centuries saw its devastation – reconstructions and demolitions now prevent us from admiring the castle's original beauty, having lost all its towers and three wings. The only preserved part of the castle is the western wing above the Otava River which leads to the large Gothic hall decorated with copies of frescoes from 1479.
Since 1902, the premises of the former castle has housed the Museum of Prácheň with its extensive collections from the history and nature of the region. The museum was awarded European Museum of the Year in 1996 by the Council of Europe for its modern exhibition, visited by tens of thousands of guests every year.
