The town of bagpipes – Strakonice can be found on the confluence of the rivers Volyňka and gold-bearing Otava.
The Strakonice Castle is a unique historical and architectural landmark which played an important role in the development of the town. The first written reference to the name Strakonice dates back to the year 1235. The castle was owned by the noble family of Bavor from Strakonice up to 1243 when the family donated a part of the castle to the Maltese Knights. Since then the castle was held by the same owner for almost 700 years. The co-existence of the secular and church authorities on one castle lasted for almost 150 years. Both their symbols – the Bavor bullet and the Maltese cross are basic symbols of the Strakonice town flag now. Since 1402 the entire castle was held by the Maltese Knights – the Knights of St. John´s Order. The castle area was gradually rebuilt so you can find examples of several building styles here. The architectural development was terminated by the Baroque extension of a chateau in the eastern part in the years 1714 – 1721.
In 1367 a nobleman Bavor IV granted basic town privileges to Strakonice. However, Strakonice stayed a tributary town for a long time. The beer-making privilege was always very important for Strakonice. Its beginnings date back to the year 1649. Nowadays the Strakonice brewery still produces 2 kinds of beer – Švanda and Dudák.
The history of the Strakonice region including the ancient settlement, the Hussite movement, the Middle Ages, the era of the 18th and 19th centuries and also the present can be seen in the Museum of Central Otava Region located in the Strakonice Castle.
