Hluboká Castle
Zámek Hluboká
Czech republic · South Bohemia · Near České Budějovice
Built 1253 · Tudor-Gothic Revival (inspired by Windsor Castle)
This page is part of an independent travel guide and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Hluboká Castle.
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Quick Facts
- Hours
- Tue–Sun 09:00–17:00. Closed Mon
- Day trip from
- €58
- Duration
- 2–3 hours
- Best time
- May to September
- Nearest city
- České Budějovice
Featured Tour
Prague: Hluboká Castle Self-Guided Tour by Coach
Cancellation available · Instant confirmation
Highlights
- ✦One of the most striking castle facades in Central Europe — 99 towers and turrets of gleaming white limestone, consciously modelled on Windsor Castle after a visit by the Schwarzenberg family
- ✦The Riding School gallery houses one of the finest Dutch and Flemish painting collections in Czech Republic, with works accumulated by the Schwarzenbergs over three centuries
- ✦The castle library holds 12,000 rare volumes in a room whose carved wood ceiling and carved bookshelves are among the finest examples of Victorian Gothic craftsmanship in Bohemia
- ✦The deer park surrounding the castle contains a game reserve still stocked with deer — one of the few Czech castles where wildlife is visible from the castle terrace
- ✦Located just 8km from Český Krumlov, making Hluboká the natural first or last stop on the classic South Bohemia castle circuit
Skip the queue with a guided tour
Skip-the-line tickets & expert guides
Hluboká Castle is the most architecturally theatrical castle in Bohemia — a dazzling white Neo-Gothic confection of towers, battlements, and oriel windows that looks, and was intended to look, like an idealised English castle transplanted to South Bohemia. When Eleanor of Schwarzenberg visited Windsor Castle in the 1830s and returned home inspired by what she had seen, she set in motion a transformation of a Renaissance country house into one of Central Europe's most extravagant pieces of 19th-century castle romanticism.
The castle sits on a promontory above the Vltava River, 8 kilometres north of České Budějovice and a short drive from Český Krumlov. Its whitewashed exterior with 99 towers is visible for kilometres across the flat South Bohemian countryside. Inside, the state rooms are equally grand: carved wooden ceilings in the Schwarzenberg style, a library of 12,000 volumes, tapestries, and a remarkable collection of Dutch and Flemish paintings assembled by the Schwarzenbergs during their centuries as one of the wealthiest noble families in the Habsburg Empire.
The castle was transferred to the Czechoslovak state in 1947 after the last Schwarzenberg proprietor fled following the communist coup. It opened as a museum shortly thereafter and has been one of the most visited castles in Czech Republic ever since — attracting visitors as much for its fairytale exterior as for the genuine quality of its collections.
Hluboká pairs naturally with Český Krumlov for a South Bohemia day trip. The two castles offer complementary experiences: Hluboká's perfect Victorian exterior and elegant interiors versus Krumlov's medieval authenticity and UNESCO-listed town.
History
The first fortification on the Hluboká promontory dates to the mid-13th century, when King Přemysl Otakar II of Bohemia built a royal castle to protect the road south from Prague. The castle passed through several noble families before the Eggenbergs acquired it in the 17th century, who began remodelling it in the Baroque style. When the Schwarzenbergs inherited the Eggenberg estates in 1719, Hluboká became one of their principal residences in Bohemia.
The transformation to its current appearance began in 1841, when Jan Adolf II of Schwarzenberg and his wife Eleanor commissioned a radical reconstruction in the Tudor-Gothic Revival style — directly inspired by Windsor Castle. The project took over 30 years and involved creating the current facade with its 99 towers, the interior state rooms, and the landscaped park. The result was one of the most expensive private construction projects in 19th-century Bohemia.
The Schwarzenbergs retained Hluboká until 1945, when their estates were confiscated under the Beneš Decrees following World War II. The castle passed to the state in 1947 and opened as a museum in 1950. The Schwarzenberg family later unsuccessfully sought restitution in Czech courts.
How to Visit
Getting there: Hluboká nad Vltavou is 145 km south of Prague and 8 km north of České Budějovice. By public transport, travel by train or bus to České Budějovice (2.5 hours from Prague), then take a local bus or taxi the final 8 km to the castle. By car, take the D1 motorway south via Tábor and České Budějovice (approximately 2 hours).
Tickets: Walk-up entry is €12 adult, €7 child. The castle interior is accessible by guided tour only; English-language tours are available in summer. The GYG self-guided coach tour from Prague (t1348218, from €58, new — no reviews yet) runs 9 hours and covers transport and castle access.
Practical tips: The castle park is freely accessible without a ticket and worth a walk even if you skip the interior. The gleaming white facade is most photogenic in morning light with a clear sky; arrive early to photograph it before crowds gather on the terrace.
Combine with: [Český Krumlov Castle](/castles/czech-republic/cesky-krumlov-castle) — 25 km away and routinely paired with Hluboká on one-day excursions from Prague. [Červená Lhota Castle](/castles/czech-republic/cervena-lhota-castle) — the red water castle 60 km east.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — the transformation was explicitly inspired by Windsor Castle. When Eleanor of Schwarzenberg visited England in the 1830s, she was so impressed by Windsor that she commissioned Czech architects to redesign Hluboká in the same Tudor-Gothic Revival style. The similarity is striking, including the round towers, the battlements, and the white stone facade. It was an extraordinary display of aristocratic wealth and fashionable taste.
Location
Zámek 142, 373 41 Hluboká nad Vltavou, Czech Republic
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