Svihov Castle

Svihov was rebuilt between about 1480 and 1520 for the Ryzmberk family as a water castle on flat ground beside the Uhlava - two concentric moats fed by the river, an inner castle with two palaces and corner towers, and an outer wall with bastions, the whole thing designed by Benedikt Ried and Hans Spiess when artillery was changing fortification. It was condemned to demolition after the Thirty Years War as a potential rebel stronghold, and the owners simply did not carry it out beyond partly draining the moats, which is why it survives. The chapel has a late Gothic winged altar and a wall painting of St George in which the dragon is set against a recognisable view of the castle itself. Restoration has re-flooded the inner moat. Czech fairy-tale films have been shot here repeatedly, most famously Tri orisky pro Popelku exteriors.

What you actually see

• Two rings of water moat - concentric, fed from the Uhlava, partly re-flooded.
• Ried and Spiess fortification - artillery-era design of about 1480-1520.
• A late Gothic winged altar - in the chapel, with a St George wall painting.
• The castle in its own painting - the dragon set against a view of the building.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Guided tours only, on set routes, and seasonal. Closed Mondays outside high summer. Film-location tours are popular and book up. The town is small.

Nearby

Klatovy and its catacombs are ten kilometres south; Plzen is north.