Svihov

About

Completed in 1489, Švihov castle has a unique and strategic design. Local legend casts the original owner of the castle, Půta Švihovský of Rýzmberk, as a cruel and arrogant man, obsessed with power and riches. He is rumoured to have been so terrified that his castle would come under attack from enemies looking to steal his treasures that he designed a system that, when triggered, could flood the area surrounding the castle with water while allowing the main compound to stay dry. That is why you can find images of Švihov castle sitting in the middle of what appears to be a like as well as surrounded by dry land! Due to the top-quality preservation work carried out on the castle it is often used as a filming location for period productions and is widely regarded as the best preserved ‘water castle’ in the Czech Republic.