Hluboká nad Vltavou (until 1912: Podhrad, German: Frauenberg) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It is situated on the Vltava river, near České Budějovice. The town is known for the picturesque Tudor-style Hluboká Castle, that is open to the public.

History: Settled since the Bronze Age, the area was the site of medieval Froburg Castle, built high above the Vltava river. Once a possession of the Přemyslid king Ottokar II of Bohemia, it later passed to the Vítkovci dynasty. Again purchased by the Bohemian Crown in the 14th century, it was a favourite residence of Emperor Charles IV, who often visited the castle when residing in České Budějovice. Held by the local noble William II of Pernstein from 1490 onwards, castle and town prospered. Though seized by French forces in the Thirty Years' War, the acquisition by the House of Schwarzenberg in 1661 brought even greater wealth to the area. After a blaze in 1742, the medieval fortress was slighted and rebuilt as a chateau. A Jewish community (Qahal) arose in the late 17th century, however, a synagogue was not erected until 1907. The present-day municipality arose in 1850, then part of the Budweis district. The majority of the population was Czech-speaking. The town was renamed after the castle Hluboká/Frauenberg in 1912.

Hluboká nad Vltavou Chateau - A piece of Windsor England in the middle of South Bohemia
Hluboká Castle is the ideal destination in South Bohemia for history buffs, incorrigible romantics and even those who worship sport. The castle owes its current appearance to the Schwarzenberg family and is often described as the most beautiful Czech castle - that’s how one could sum up the magical Hluboká Castle, which got its present appearance in the 19th century after a Neo-Gothic reconstruction. Hluboká Castle was originally founded as a guardian castle in the middle of the 13th century by Bohemian kings. Within the context of the Romantic modification of the noble residence, the Schwarzenbergs founded an expansive landscaped park in the mid 19th century. The castle with its 140 rooms and 11 towers offers several tour variants. During the tour of the castle, one can peek inside private rooms and lavish ceremonial halls with carved paneling, coffered ceilings, elegant furnishings, crystal chandeliers and rich collections of paintings, silver, porcelain and tapestries You can also check out the lookout tower and the castle kitchen with lots of kitchen equipment preserved from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. In the Castle riding hall, you can view the exposition of South Bohemian Gothic and Dutch masters from the collections of the Aleš South Bohemian Gallery.