Vimperk, Gothic castle in Vimperk, Czech Republic.

Vimperk is a Gothic and Renaissance castle complex situated on elevated ground overlooking the town below. The compound comprises multiple palace buildings, two prominent towers, and defensive walls that enclose a spacious courtyard area.

The castle was probably founded by the monarch and held by Purkart of Janovice, first mentioned with the epithet 'of Vimperk' in 1264. In 1479 town and castle were joined into one fortified unit and the Haselburg outwork was built. After a fire in 1619 it was rebuilt as a Renaissance château in 1622–1624, and the last building work followed the fire of 20 July 1857.

The castle gave its name to the settlement below, and the town museum now occupies the upper castle. Its displays cover the Šumava National Park, the town's history, historic printing presses and books from Vimperk's period as a centre of Czech book printing in the 15th century, plus Bohemian glass from the 17th- and 18th-century glassworks boom.

Visitors should wear sturdy shoes since pathways across the grounds and between buildings are uneven and steep in places. The best visiting season is from May through September when weather is reliable and all areas remain open for exploration.

The forward bastion Haselburg, north of the castle, has a round battery tower 14 metres across, preserved to the height of its second floor. Its entrance stood on the first floor, reached by a walkway on massive stone corbels that were later torn out. The wall beside it is up to eight metres thick.