Rožmberk Castle

Rožmberk Castle stands on a rocky spur above a sharp bend of the Vltava River, in the small town of Rožmberk nad Vltavou in South Bohemia. It was the original seat of the Rosenberg (Rožmberk) family — one of the most powerful noble houses in Bohemian history — and remains one of the most dramatically situated castles in the region.

Who built the castle and gave the Rosenberg family its name?

The castle was founded in the mid-13th century by Vok of Rožmberk, a member of the influential Vítkovci clan and a vassal of King Přemysl Otakar II. It was from this stronghold that the family took the name by which it would be known for the next three and a half centuries: the Rosenbergs. Around the turn of the 14th century, under Petr of Rožmberk, the upper castle was added, but a major fire in 1522 destroyed most of its buildings — only the round tower known as Jakobínka survived.

Although the castle gave the dynasty its name, the family seat itself moved on relatively early: after the extinction of the lords of Krumlov in the early 14th century, the Rosenbergs relocated their main residence to nearby Český Krumlov. Rožmberk nonetheless stayed strategically important, guarding a river crossing and trade route along the Vltava. During the Hussite Wars, between 1420 and 1456, the castle was pledged to the House of Walsee, underlining how much military and political weight it still carried.

The Rosenberg line died out in 1611 with the death of Petr Vok, the last male heir. Following the upheaval of the early Thirty Years' War, the castle passed in 1620 to the imperial general Karl Bonaventura Buquoy, whose descendants held it until 1945.

What can visitors see at the castle today?

Rožmberk is really two connected fortifications: a lower castle, remodeled in Renaissance style and later given Gothic Revival touches in the 19th century, and an upper castle where only the Jakobínka tower and the viewing "English Tower" remain from the medieval structure. A drawbridge links the two parts, and the courtyard is framed by corner towers and traces of sgraffito decoration.

In the mid-19th century, Count Jiří Jan Buquoy converted the family residence into a museum, a role it still fulfills today. Two separate tours are on offer. The first covers the Buquoy collections — an armory, a Knights' Gallery, and rooms hung with paintings by artists such as Karel Škréta and Jan Kupecký. The second leads through the family's private 19th-century apartments, including the dining room and salon, and continues up into the English Tower for views over the Vltava valley. No visit is complete without hearing about the castle's resident ghost, the "White Lady," tied to legends surrounding one of its chambers.

Frequently asked questions

Who founded Rožmberk Castle? It was founded in the mid-13th century by Vok of Rožmberk, a nobleman from the Vítkovci family, whose descendants then adopted the Rosenberg name from this very castle.

Can you visit Rožmberk Castle today? Yes. It operates as a museum with two guided tours — one focused on the Buquoy art and weapons collections, the other on the family's 19th-century private rooms.

Why does the castle share its name with the famous Rosenberg dynasty? The relationship runs the other way around: the family didn't lend the castle its name — the castle lent the family theirs, when Vok of Rožmberk began calling himself after this stronghold.

Is there anything worth seeing beyond the castle itself? The riverside town of Rožmberk nad Vltavou sits right below the castle walls on the Vltava, making it a popular stop for canoers paddling the river.