Strakonice Castle, Gothic castle in Strakonice, Czech Republic

Strakonice Castle is a Gothic castle with a Baroque palace and the Romanesque Church of St Procope, standing at the confluence of the Otava and Volyňka rivers. It has three courtyards: the first holds the church, the second the old and Renaissance palaces with the Rumpál tower, and the third economic buildings by the river.

The castle was founded between 1220 and 1235 by Bavor I, who in 1243 gave its eastern half with the Church of St Procope to the Knights of St John, who set up a commandery there. In 1402 the order bought the whole castle, and from 1421 it housed the grand priors. In 1449 Václav of Michalovice founded the anti-Hussite Strakonice Unity here; it was defeated in 1451.

The castle houses a regional museum that displays objects from local history, including pipes, weapons, and motorcycles from different periods. Visitors can see everyday items that shaped life in this region over time.

The site is located in central Strakonice at Zámek 1. Visitors can contact the information center before their visit to learn about current opening hours and available guided tours.

The Rumpál tower has a wedge-shaped projection on its outer wall, built to deflect stone projectiles; similar towers were raised around the same time at Bítov, Zvíkov and Svojanov. The castle was taken twice in its history, in 1620 by the Estates army and later by the Swedes, reportedly by treachery rather than assault.