Czechia · Restored
Orlík Castle
Orlík Castle (Zámek Orlík) is a château on a rocky promontory above the Vltava River in Orlík nad Vltavou, South Bohemia, Czechia. Originally a medieval royal spur castle, it was rebuilt and remodelled over centuries and gained its Romantic Gothic exterior in the mid-19th century; the interiors preserve Empire-period furnishings and a collection of family artworks. The château is set beside a large English-style park and is accessed by a stone bridge across a defensive moat.
First raised
1300
Its prime
1860
Today
Restored
As it stood in 1860
The shape it held in its prime.
Large, pale plastered château with three prominent round towers rising above the main façade, each tower topped by crenellations and a narrow red decorative band; long steep dark slate roofs punctured by many white chimneys; a high stone retaining wall and gate cut into the rock lead to a stone bridge across a moat; a trapezoidal open courtyard with arcades on the ground floor is enclosed by rectangular wings; the château sits on a wooded river promontory at water level with an extensive park behind it.
Its story
The story of Orlík Castle.
Orlík — the name means "young eagle" — began as a royal spur castle on a rock 60 metres above the Vltava, often said to have resembled an eagle's nest perched above a turn in the river. From 1408 the Zmrzlík of Svojšín family owned it, and the Hussite general Jan Žižka stayed in the castle during their time. After a fire in 1508 it was rebuilt as a Renaissance château by its new owners, the Lords of Švamberk.
The Eggenbergs acquired Orlík in 1623, and in 1717 it was inherited by the Schwarzenbergs, whose main residence it became at the beginning of the 19th century. The most famous member of the family was Field Marshal Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg, victor over Napoleon at the Battle of Leipzig in 1813. The château's Romantic Gothic exterior dates from the mid-19th century, and its Empire-period interiors hold the family's collection of art works.
The creation of the Orlík Reservoir in 1954–1962 transformed the setting: once high above the valley, the château now stands barely a few metres above the water. The Schwarzenberg tie endures — the cremated remains of the Czech MP Karel Schwarzenberg were buried in the family tomb at Orlík in a private ceremony on 9 December 2023, on what would have been his 86th birthday.
Step inside
12 places to explore in 1860.
The record describes 12 distinct spots at Orlík Castle — including 6 interiors: lovecký sál (hunter's hall), chapel with net vault, greater and lesser knight's halls and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and walk through every one — more scenes means more photos, more angles and more rooms of the immersive experience.
Create History
Recreate Orlík Castle with AI to explore it.
The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1860 — a photoreal walk that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.
Recreate Castle to Explore →Whose castle
Clans who held Orlík Castle.
The families that held Orlík Castle for a decade or more across its history — follow a name to its clan.
Zmrzlík
The Zmrzlík of Svojšín family owned Orlík from 1408; the Hussite general Jan Žižka stayed at the castle in their time.
Švamberk
The Lords of Švamberk rebuilt Orlík as a Renaissance château after the fire of 1508.
Eggenberg
The Eggenbergs acquired Orlík in 1623 and held it until the Schwarzenberg inheritance of 1717.
Schwarzenberg
Inherited by the Schwarzenbergs in 1717; their main residence from the early 19th century, with the family tomb still at Orlík.
