Jindřichův Hradec

Jindřichův Hradec stands on the Nežárka beside the Vajgar pond in southern Bohemia. Its name recalls Jindřich of the Vítkovci family, who built a Gothic castle on the site of an older Slavic stronghold around 1220. A settlement grew beside the castle and became the seat of the lords of Hradec, whose residence and estates shaped the town for centuries.

Under the last members of the Hradec family in the late sixteenth century, the town reached the height of its development. Gothic houses and the castle were rebuilt in Renaissance style, and settlement spread beyond the walls. After the Thirty Years' War it remained one of the largest towns in Bohemia, although its political and economic importance later declined. Great fires in 1773 and 1801 damaged many houses and prompted further rebuilding.