Discover Orlík nad Vltavou

If you would like to combine culture, landscapes and water-based experiences in the Czech Republic, Orlík nad Vltavou offers several clearly distinct discoveries. At the centre is Orlík Castle, with its family history, preserved interiors and extensive park. There is also the Orlík Aquarium, a tour of the hydroelectric power station and the approximately 30-kilometre-long educational trail to Zvíkovské Podhradí. This allows you to choose between historic rooms, short walking routes, exhibitions and a longer hiking trail.

Orlík Castle and the History of the Schwarzenbergs

The tour route at Orlík Castle presents the history of the castle and the Orlík branch of the Schwarzenberg family. Exhibits include portraits, family trees, and an extensive collection of orders and decorations. The route also leads through the castle’s interiors. With the exception of four rooms on the first upper floor, these have largely been preserved in the condition in which the Schwarzenbergs were forced to leave them in 1948. As a result, you will encounter not only individual exhibits there, but also the preserved design of a historic residential and representational setting.

Park, Promenades and the Schwarzenberg Tomb

Promenades were laid out in the park of Orlík Castle as walking paths through the designed landscape. Its present form was created after 1802 under Karl Filip of Schwarzenberg, who established a cadet branch of the family based at Orlík there. The park is therefore just as much a part of the history of the place as the castle rooms themselves, but it presents this history in a landscaped setting.

Another historic point of reference is the Schwarzenberg tomb in the park of Orlík nad Vltavou. The Neo-Gothic family mausoleum was built for a cadet branch of the Schwarzenberg family. It was constructed between 1861 and 1864 according to the plans of Karl III Schwarzenberg and consecrated in 1864. The mausoleum is located in a manor park approximately 1,500 metres northwest of the castle. The stated distance makes it an independent destination within the castle and park landscape, without implying any specific walking time.

Orlík Aquarium: Freshwater, Photography and Salmon

The Orlík Aquarium focuses on bodies of water and their history. The exhibition on freshwater fish from Czech waters includes carp, pike, perch and trout, among others. Photographs also document the beginnings of the Orlík Reservoir and its former surroundings. An exhibition of live Atlantic salmon also explores the former presence of these fish in Czech rivers until their extinction in the 20th century. The aquarium therefore covers both visible animal species and the transformation of a landscape, as well as the past of a river-dwelling species.

Hydroelectric Power Station and Educational Trail

During a tour of the Orlík hydroelectric power station, you can see the turbine hall and the dam. The tour takes about an hour and is available year-round by prior reservation. You can arrive by car, bicycle or an excursion boat from Orlík Castle, among other options. The tour therefore follows a clearly guided format and complements the freely laid-out park paths with a technical insight.

Those who prefer a longer route will find the start of the Orlík–Zvíkovské Podhradí educational trail at Orlík Castle. It runs along the left bank of the Vltava from Orlík to Zvíkovské Podhradí, is approximately 30 kilometres long and has 15 information panels. The route is intended for pedestrians. Its layout and information panels make it an independent hiking option that is clearly distinct from the promenades in the castle park.

More Destinations for Your Search

If you would like to compare other places in addition to Orlík nad Vltavou, you can also check Myslín, Varvazov, Sepekov, Drahenicky, Obora U Cerhonic, Radvánov, Olešná and Ostrovec.

Back to the main travel overview: Písek District.