Vimperk can be explored from two perspectives: through buildings that reveal its military and religious history, and along trails offering panoramic views or routes through the valley. When planning, consider whether you would like to focus on the castle, town fortifications and church, or on a viewpoint and the railway viaduct. Both approaches give your stay a cultural and scenic setting.
Castle, fortifications and town history
Vimperk Castle was probably founded around the middle of the 13th century as a watch fortress above an ancient route from Bavaria to Bohemia. The “Středověk” tour at Vimperk Castle covers the period when Vimperk, as a castle, guarded the Golden Trail. The tour thus adds the castle’s historical role on the Golden Trail to the view of the building itself.
Haselburg was built in the 15th century as an outer fortification. Six bastions survive in the late medieval town fortifications. These examples show the military history through different forms and scales of construction: a castle, an outer fortification and parts of the town’s defensive system. St. Bartholomew’s Church offers a different perspective. It is Vimperk’s oldest religious building and broadens the focus beyond military history to include religious architecture.
Muzeum Vimperska offers 18 ways to discover Vimperk and its surroundings. The museum thus complements the focus on individual historic buildings with an offering that takes in the town and its surrounding area together.
Trails to a viewpoint, the valley and the viaduct
The Vycházkový okruh Vimperkem leads to a viewpoint with panoramic views of Vimperk and its castle. This is an ideal option if you would like to see the town as a whole: the panorama brings the town and castle together in one view.
The Vycházkový okruh okolo Vimperka offers a different perspective. It follows the Volyňka Valley along a red-marked cycling route to a large, four-arch railway viaduct over the Klášterec Valley. Unlike the viewpoint route, this one focuses on the journey through a valley and the viaduct as its destination. The two route descriptions therefore offer different experiences: views of Vimperk and its castle, or the valley and railway viaduct.
The Volyňka cycling route is 46.5 km long and has six rest stops for cyclists. The route length and number of rest stops provide specific details to help you plan a cycling trip. Check the rest facilities before setting out, as they may change.
Getting your bearings near the castle
The car park on Pivovarská Street is below the castle and opposite the grammar school. The information centre, castle, attractions, shops and services are all within reach. The car park has 30 to 35 spaces. Before travelling, it is worth checking the current parking situation, as conditions may change.
Discover more destinations: Bošice, Bohumilice, Zábrdí, Lhenice, Tvrzice, Němčice, Lčovice, Stožec.
Back to the overview of destinations: Prachatice District.
