| Orlík nad Vltavou | |
| Settlement Type: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | South Bohemian |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Písek |
| Pushpin Map: | Czech Republic |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in the Czech Republic |
| Coordinates: | 49.5108°N 14.1647°W |
| Established Title: | First mentioned |
| Established Date: | 1251 |
| Area Total Km2: | 9.04 |
| Elevation M: | 390 |
| Population As Of: | 2024-01-01 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 290 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | CET |
| Utc Offset1: | +1 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 398 07 |
Orlík nad Vltavou is a municipality and village in Písek District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 300 inhabitants. It is known for the Orlík Castle.
The village of Staré Sedlo is an administrative part of Orlík nad Vltavou.
The name is a diminutive of the Czech word orel (i.e. 'eagle'). Orlík was a common name for medieval castles built on a rock, because they resembled an eagle sitting on its nest.[2]
Orlík nad Vltavou is located about north of Písek and 58km (36miles) southwest of Prague. It lies mostly in the Benešov Uplands. The highest point is the hill Chlum at 502m (1,647feet) above sea level. The municipality lies on the shores of the Orlík Reservoir, built on the Vltava River.
The first written mention of Orlík is a document from the period 1230–1251, when customs duties were collected on the Vltava River near Orlík, which was only a small wooden castle at that time. Until 1357, Orlík was a royal property; then it was owned by various noble families. In 1719, it was inherited by the Schwarzenberg family, who owned it until 1948.[3] [4]
The I/19 road (the section from Plzeň to Tábor) passes through the municipality. Over the Orlík Reservoir, the road leads via the Žďákov Bridge.
Orlík nad Vltavou is well known for the Orlík Castle. It was originally a fortress dating from the early 13th century at the latest, which was expanded into a strong Gothic castle. Nowadays, the castle once again belongs to the Schwarzenbergs. It is open to the public. Next to the castle is the castle park. Of the park's original area of 180 ha, 140ha have been preserved; the rest was flooded during the construction of the reservoir in the 1960s. In the castle park there is the Schwarzenberg family tomb from the mid-19th century.[4]