Švihov () is a town in

Klatovy District Klatovy District () is a Okres, district in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Klatovy. With an area of , it is the largest district in the country. Administrative division Klatovy District is divided into three Di ...

in the

Plzeň Region Plzeň Region or Plzeňský Region (also known as Pilsen Region; ) is an Regions of the Czech Republic, administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the western part of the historical land of Bohemia and named after the capital, Plz ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. It has about 1,700 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Švihov consists of 11 municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Švihov (1,152) *Bezděkov (12) *Jíno (27) *Kaliště (39) *Kamýk (38) *Kokšín (74) * Lhovice (172) *Stropčice (82) *Těšnice (7) *Třebýcinka (53) *Vosí (9)

Etymology

Švihov got its name from its location in the valley where "the winds swished" (in Czech ''švihaly větry'').

Geography

Švihov is located about north of

Klatovy Klatovy (; ) is a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 23,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument zones, urban monument zone. Administr ...

and south of

Plzeň Plzeň (), also known in English and German as Pilsen (), is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the Statutory city (Czech Republic), fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about west of P ...

. It lies in the heart of the

Švihov Highlands Švihov may refer to places in the Czech Republic: *Švihov (Klatovy District), a town in the Plzeň Region **Švihov Castle in the town *Švihov (Rakovník District), a municipality and village in the Central Bohemian Region *Švihov, a village an ...

. The highest point is the hill Tuhošť at above sea level. The town is situated on the left bank of the

Úhlava The Úhlava () is a river in the Czech Republic, a right tributary of the Radbuza River. It flows through the Plzeň Region to the city of Plzeň. It is long, making it the 19th longest river in the Czech Republic. Etymology The name is probabl ...

River.

History

The first written mention of Švihov is from 1245, however, a manor house probably existed here already in 1194. In the first half of the 14th century, Vilém of Švihov had a fortress built here and intended that Švihov would become the centre of a large estate. In 1367, Švihov was referred to as a town for the first time, but due to the proximity of

, it remained a small and poor town. Švihov was owned by the Švihovský of Rýzmberk family until 1425, when it was conquered by the

Hussites upright=1.2, Battle between Hussites (left) and Crusades#Campaigns against heretics and schismatics, Catholic crusaders in the 15th century upright=1.2, The Lands of the Bohemian Crown during the Hussite Wars. The movement began during the Prag ...

. In 1436, after the

Hussite Wars The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, a ...

, the family got Švihov back. Půta Švihovský of Rýzmberk had a massive castle built on the site of the fortress in the 1480s. This construction caused great debt, and the family had to sell Švihov in 1548. It was purchased by Heralt Kavka of Říčany and Štekeň, then it was purchased by the

Czernin family The Czernin family (; ) is a European noble family that was one of the oldest and most prominent noble families in the Kingdom of Bohemia. The family can claim descent from many important European noble families, including the distant one fro ...

in 1598. The castle ceased to be a feudal seat and the importance of the town declined. During the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

, the

Swedish army The Swedish Army () is the army, land force of the Swedish Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Beginning with its service in 1521, the Swedish Army has been active for more than 500 years. History Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1 ...

plundered the town, but failed to capture the castle. Emperor Ferdinand III ordered the demolition of the castle in 1655, but due to delays it never happened. However, the castle remained uninhabited, and in 1662 it was described as ruined. Its premises were used as granaries from the 18th century, which saved it from complete destruction. The Czernin family owned Švihov until 1918.

Demographics

Transport

The I/27 road (the section from Plzeň to Klatovy, part of the European route E53) passes through the town. Švihov is located on the railway line

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

–Plzeň–

Železná Ruda Železná Ruda (; ) is a town in Klatovy District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,600 inhabitants. It is one of the important sports and tourist centres of the Bohemian Forest. Administrative division Železná Ruda con ...

and thus has a direct connection to the capital.

Sights

Švihov is known for the Gothic

Švihov Castle Švihov Castle (; ) is a Gothic water castle in Švihov in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is ...

. The water castle was built in 1480–1489, the defense system of the castle was completed with the help of

Benedikt Rejt Benedikt Rejt (often spelled Benedikt Ried; c. 1450 – between 1531 and 1536) was a leading medieval architect in Bohemia, today's Czech Republic. He built Vladislav Hall (1497–1500) in Prague Castle, St. Barbara's Church, Kutná Hora, (c. 14 ...

in 1504. Since 1949, it has been owned and administered by the state. The castle is open to the public and offers guided tours. The Church of Saint Wenceslaus was originally a Gothic building. After it was damaged by a fire, it was completely rebuilt in the late Baroque style in 1744–1747, probably by

František Maxmilián Kaňka František Maxmilián Kaňka (19 August 1674 – 14 July 1766) was a Czech architect. He was among the most important and most prolific Baroque architects in the Czech lands. Life František Maxmilián Kaňka was born in Prague on 19 August 16 ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Svihov Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Klatovy District