Pořešín - Castle

South of České Budějovice, not far from the town of Kaplice, the extensive ruins of Pořešín Castle stand on a hill above the Malší River. The castle was built in the second half of the 13th century as the administrative centre of the estate of Bavor II of Strakonice, which he received as a dowry from his wife Anežka, daughter of King Přemysl Otakar II. In 1317, the Bavors exchanged Pořešín with the Knights of Vítějovice, and the new owners began to use the predicate of Pořešín. The most important member of the family, Markvart I of Pořešín, served as chamberlain to the last wife of Emperor Charles IV, Elizabeth of Pomerania, in the second half of the 14th century. After the death of the last lord of Pořešín, the castle was seized by Oldřich II of Rožmberk after periods of turmoil during the Hussite Wars. In 1433, fearing Hussite raids, he had it burned down and demolished. Since 2002, the castle has been cared for by the Hrady na Malši association, which also looks after four other castles on the Malše River – Velešín, Sokolčí, Louzek and the fortress in Tichá. The castle has been systematically cared for since 2002, and the results to date are summarised in an exhibition in the archaeological museum in front of the castle. The castle has become a venue for regular theatre and music festivals and shows, as well as a popular place for families with children and individual visitors to relax and enjoy themselves. Since 2004, the castle has been part of the more than 250 km long Land Route from Upper Austria to České Budějovice.