Hluboká Castle is a fairytale castle if there ever was one. Somewhat hidden away in Czechia’s South Bohemia, few pass by this gem on their way to Cesky Krumlov. Originally built in the 13th century in a Gothic style, the castle has gone through several renovations since, receiving its final Windsor Castle-inspired face-lift in the 19th century. Below we present our Travel Guide for visiting South Bohemia’s stunning Hluboká nad Vltavou Castle, designed to help you get the most out of your visit to this stunning castle. Hluboká nad Vltavou Castle is without a doubt one of Czechia’s most beautiful, sitting dramatically atop a hill above the small town of Hluboka nad Vltavou and the Vltava River. The outside of the castle is rather breathtaking and is surrounded by beautifully manicured gardens.
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You might also be interested in these pages:
4-Day Itinerary in South Bohemia
Best Things to See and Do in Cesky Krumlov
Best Day Trips from Cesky Krumlov
Hluboká Castle History
Before its current appearance, the Castle frequently changed owners and styles between the 13th and 17th centuries, when it became the property of the Schwarzenberg family. Hluboká Castle was originally founded as a guard castle in the middle of the 13th century by Czech kings and as a royal property, it was often pledged. After changing owners a few times, the noble family of the Lords of Hradec purchased the Hluboka estate in 1561 and two years later they had the original Gothic castle rebuilt into a Renaissance chateau.
After changing hands several times again, the Castle remained in the possession of the Schwarzenberg from 1661 until 1947. Due to the family’s riches, they rebuilt the castle twice. First, in the early 18th century, they transformed it into the Baroque Style, and they later carried out an extensive reconstruction of the chateau in the Romantic New Gothic style between 1840 and 1871, including the landscaping of the park. This most recent remodel is a romantic reconstruction inspired by England’s Windsor Castle, ordered after a Schwarzenberg family member attended Queen Victoria’s coronation in 1838. The last Schwarzenberg to live in the Castle fled the country in 1939 during the Second World War. In 1947, the Castle was nationalized and is presently administered by the Czech National Monument Institute.
Today, Hluboká is one of the most famous and most frequently visited castles in the country. It is generally the third most visited castle after Prague Castle and Cesky Krumlov castle.
Hluboká nad Vltavou Castle Visitor Information
- The Castle Grounds and Gardens are free to visit. You only need to pay for a guided tour of the Castle’s interior and rooms.
- Opening hours depend on the season and what you want to visit:
- Castle Inner Courtyard (free) April to September (8:30am-5:15pm), October to March (8:30am-4:45pm)
- Castle Gardens (free): April to September (8am-11pm), October to March (8am-8pm)
- Guided Tours of Castle Interior Rooms (May through September, generally between (9am and 4pm). We highly recommend doing one of the guided tours (presented below) if you can.
- The Castle (inner courtyard and Guided Tours) is closed on Mondays (except in July & August). The Gardens are accessible on all days. Also closed during the Christmas Holiday Period.
- There’s a restaurant on-site (and several others in the town itself), but you might want to bring a picnic to enjoy the beautiful grounds around the castle.
- You don’t need to book Castle tours in advance, but you can if you want to guarantee your place at a given time slot.
- Guided tours are mostly offered in Czech (and occasionally in English). However, they will hand out pamphlets in other languages should you not be able to attend one of the rarer English tours.
- The price of the guided tour depends on your choice of tour and ranges from 140 CZK to 240 CZK for adults in 2023 (roughly 8 to 12 USD/€ ); more details on the different tours are provided below.
- Photography is not permitted inside the castle during the guided tours. Outdoor photography (castle exterior, gardens, interior courtyard) is permitted, however.
- To get to the castle’s main gate, it’s a short but steep walk from the town of Hluboka nad Vltavou (parking details are presented below).
How to get to Hluboká nad Vltavou Castle
The Hluboká nad Vltavou Castle is situated in the South Bohemia Region of the Czech Republic, 11 km northwest of Ceské Budejovice (13 min) and 34 km north of Ceský Krumlov (35 min).
The castle is best visited with your own vehicle, as it is difficult to reach by public transport. Your best option is to make it to Ceské Budejovice from either Prague or Cesky Krumlov and take a cab from there.
If you haven’t booked your rental vehicle yet, we highly recommend using Discover Cars to get the best rates on your rental in Scotland.
If you would like to have cellular/wireless data while driving abroad for up-to-date navigation information, we highly recommend Airalo, the world’s first and largest eSIM store. They have plans for 200+ countries and regions worldwide. With Airalo eSIMs, you can get connected the moment you land at your destination and avoid data roaming charges.
Parking
Although there is paid parking in town (next to the Penny Market on the west side of town), we suggest that you park for free at the outdoor sports complex, opposite the golf course. Although it adds a few minutes to the walk to the Castle (20 minutes instead of 10 minutes), it is a pleasant stroll under tall trees and there is a coffee shop right next to the parking lot. Although there is some parking available right by the castle, its use is restricted to those with physical disabilities.
To reach the castle, you will have to walk through the old town center of Hluboka nad Vltavou, so be sure to admire some of the beautiful buildings and the lovely Kostel svatého Jana church. There are several small restaurants and cafés in town should need refreshments or food.
Once you cross through the old part of town, you’ll turn right (see map above), and from that point on it’s a short but steep climb on a paved road up to the Castle.
Exploring Hluboka Castle and Gardens
Once you’ve made your way up the hill, the first thing you’ll come across is the beautiful garden in front of the castle.
Then you’ll turn to the right and have your jaw drop as you first set your eyes on the castle.
Once you’ve picked up your jaw, you can then either make your way through the doorway into the interior courtyard or circle around the castle via walking paths that take you through the castle grounds and garden. If you elect to go into the courtyard first, be sure to save some time to circle the castle later on.
Once in the courtyard, you’ll notice the castle is as beautiful from the courtyard as it is from the outside. Admire the crosses carved into the stone, and deer antlers jutting out of the walls.
From the main doorway, you’ll find both public washrooms and the ticket/info office on the left-hand side of the courtyard. There are also several benches to relax and soak in the view while you wait for your tour to commence. Tour guides will come into the courtyard to let everyone know that a tour is about to start.
The interior rooms of the castle are equally as impressive as the outside, with lovely wood carvings and ornate woodwork panelling, beautiful tapestries and pieces of furniture, grandiose staircases, and impressive art collections.
Group Tour Visiting Room Options
As we mentioned earlier, there are several options for visiting the inside of the castle. Even though you don’t have to buy the tickets in advance, be sure to check out the tour schedule for the day of your planned visit to avoid disappointment, as those tours only run a few times per day at best (and even fewer are given in English). The indicated prices are for 2024.
Representation Rooms – 280 CZK (55 min)
This is the main tour on offer throughout the year – and if you only have time for one, this is the one you should do. It takes visitors through some of the most beautiful rooms in the castle, such as the piano room, the smoking room, the dining room, and the library. It also gives visitors the opportunity to see many of the family paintings of the Schwarzenbergs. You will also see a rich collection of weapons that is among the most valuable collections found in Czech chateau collections.
Private Apartments – 220 CZK (60 min)
This tour focuses more on the final years of the Schwarzenberg’s time in the castle and includes a visit to a hunting room, dining room, preparation room, and study. This tour is generally only offered during the high season.
Chateau Kitchen – 160 CZK (35 minutes)
We really wanted to see this tour, but sadly it wasn’t offered on the day of our visit. It showcases a unique example of a large noble house’ kitchen – one that spans the entire length of the castle’s basement. The tour explains how a kitchen from this period would function and how the kitchen was still in use until 1945. This tour is generally only offered during the summer high season.
Suite Rooms – 280 CZK (70 min)
This tour seems to be rarely offered but is listed on the Castle’s website – and it wasn’t available during the day of our visit. It showcases rooms that were used to house relatives, friends and esteemed guests of the Schwarzenberg family.
Chateau Tower and Lookout – 160 CZK
There are no fixed times to visit and climb up the tower – you pay your entry fee and up you go! The views of the surrounding countryside are beautiful up here if you are willing to climb the 245 steps to get to the lookout balcony!
If you didn’t get a chance to go around the castle and explore the grounds before going on a guided tour, be sure to do so before you leave, at least to admire the castle via different vantage points and gold-gilded pillars, iron staircases, lion statues and towering turrets.
Try to plan for 30-45 minutes to explore the castle exterior and gardens, in addition to the time required for your guided tour.
If you are looking for something else to do while in the castle’s vicinity, just across from the main gate, on the castle grounds, is a church-like building that is actually an Art Gallery. The Aleš South Bohemian Gallery houses both Czech and European artworks, including woodcarvings, beautiful tapestries, and portraits of Schwarzenberg family members. The gallery is open daily from 9am-6pm and has an entrance fee of entrance fee 150 CZK / 6 € (2024).
Nearby Attractions
If you are visiting the castle from Cesky Krumlov, you definitely should consider visiting Ceske Budejovice on the same day, which is only 11km from Hluboka Castle. It is home to one of Europe’s largest main town squares, its historic center is both compact and highly pleasant to stroll through, and it is home to the Budweiser Budvar brewery.
For more information on visiting, check out our guide on the Best Things to See and Do in Ceske Budejovice.
Since you only need a few hours to explore both Hluboka Castle and Ceske Budejovice, you can also visit on the same day (without making it too busy) the charming Holašovice Historic Village. Holašovice, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional central European village. It has a large number of outstanding South Bohemian ‘Folk Baroque‘ style buildings from the 18th- and 19th centuries. It’s not a particularly large site, but it’s a fun place to explore for an hour or two.
For more information on visiting, check out our Holašovice Historic Village Guide.
We are assuming that if you are exploring the South Bohemia region of Czechia, you will also visit Cesky Krumlov. If you aren’t sure, we highly recommend a trip to it as we can’t speak highly enough of this beautiful town. Sure it can get crowded summer middays thanks to all the day-trippers from Prague, but if you can spend at least a night here, you will quickly find that Ceske Krumlov can be quite the enchanting place.
Preparing a trip to Czechia?
You might be interested in these Czechia pages:
4-Day Itinerary in South Bohemia
Best Things to See and Do in Cesky Krumlov
Best Day Trips from Cesky Krumlov
We also highly recommend these guidebooks:
Rick Steves’ Prague & the Czech Republic
Lonely Planet’s Prague & Czechia
Photography Gear
If you like our photography, you might be interested in some of the gear we use to shoot our travel and hiking destinations.
Camera Body – Nikon Z 6ii Fx-series Mirrorless Body
Main Lens – NIKON 24-120mm F/4G ED VR AF-S
Zoom Lens – Sigma 745-306 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Polarizing filters – Urth Circular Polarizing (CPL)
Camera Tripod – K&F Concept 64-inch Camera Tripod
Mini-tripod – Lammcou Flexible Camera Tripod
Camera/hiking backpack – Vanguard Alta Rise 48 Backpack
Universal Travel Adapter – VYLEE Universal International Power Travel Plug
Other Travel Essentials
Travel Insurance
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e-Sim cards
Airalo is the world’s first and largest eSIM store with eSIM plans for 200+ countries and regions worldwide. With Airalo eSIMs, travellers can get connected the moment they land at their destination and avoid nasty data roaming charges
eSIMS are a sustainable alternative to single-use SIM cards – they are 100% digital, require less energy to produce and be re-used rather than disposed of.
Car Rentals
Discover Cars is our go-to website for car rentals. We almost always find our preferred rate there.
Transfer from Airport
Welcome Pickups is our favourite private transfer service, which you can pre-book at a fixed price. Currently available in 220 cities all over the world (mostly in Europe, but with several major cities in Asia, the Middle East and the US).
Kiwitaxi is another private transfer service – we haven’t tried it yet, but it’s currently available in a few more countries (102 as of 2024).
Hotels and Accommodations (coming soon)
Photography Prints
If you found this blog useful, you can help support our blog by purchasing low-cost digital prints. Printed physical prints are also available for purchase.
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Hluboka nad Vltavou Castle Travel Guide and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to the South Bohemia region of Czechia!
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