Nové Hrady (German Gratzen) is a town in the Novohradské foothills near the border with Austria, about 30 km southeast of České Budějovice and 20 km south of Třeboň. With an altitude of 541 m, they are the highest town in the district of České Budějovice. The cadastral area of the city is 7,968 ha and has a population of approximately 2,500. The postal code is 373 33, except for the local parts of Byňov, which has postal code 373 34 and Údolí 374 01. The historical core is a city monument zone. The Nové Hrady railway station is in Byňov - Jakula, 5 km from the town.
There is said to have been a Slavic castle complex there as early
as 980. The first documented mention comes from May 21, 1279, when
Hogyrius de Gretzen (Hojer von Gratzen; Ojíř z Nového Hradu) from
the Witigonian branch of the Landstein family was identified as the
owner of Nové Hrady Castle. In 1291 Gratzen was owned by Smil von
Gratzen, who donated the church of Deutsch-Reichenau to Hohenfurt
Monastery that year. In 1359 the Rosenbergs acquired Gratzen from
Ojíř/Hojer and Vítek/Witiko von Landstein.
The exact time
when the settlement that emerged below the castle was elevated to
the status of a city is not known. It is assumed that this took
place in the 14th century during the time of Ulrich I von Rosenberg,
who also founded the Gratzen rule and had the ponds built north of
the city. When he died in 1390, the surrounding villages belonged to
the Gratzen rule. Under his son Heinrich III. From Rosenberg the
city became rich. In addition to selling wood from the surrounding
forest areas and making shingles, the residents made a living
primarily from hop cultivation and the brewery. The Gratzener beer
was delivered throughout the entire Rosenberger territory.
In
1425 the Hussites under Jan Hvězda z Vícemilic invaded and burned
down the town and castle. During the uprising against George of
Poděbrady in 1467, Zdenko von Sternberg's troops sacked the town and
castle again. At the beginning of the 16th century, Gratzen
experienced its heyday; breweries were established in several of the
surrounding villages, such as Weißbach, Niederthal and Sonnberg. In
1521 the Great Pond (Byňovský rybník) was created near Böhmdorf and
in 1568 the ponds near Gabernost and Sohors were connected to form
one large pond, today's Žárský rybník (Sohorser Pond). Glass
production was also established, in 1564 the first glassworks of the
Gratzen rule was founded in Piberschlag and in 1588 the Wilhelmsberg
glassworks near Heilbrunn followed.
The owners of the estate
at that time were Wilhelm von Rosenberg and his brother and
successor Peter Wok, the last of the Rosenbergers. At the end of the
16th century, the Rosenbergers rebuilt the old castle, which was in
poor condition. After Peter Wok's death in 1611, Gratzen came into
the possession of Johann Georg von Schwanberg. Until 1620, the
estate belonged to Peter von Schwanberg, who pledged it and whose
property was ultimately confiscated because of his involvement in
the uprising of the estates in 1618. In February 1621, the Bohemian
sovereign Ferdinand II granted the rule of Gratzen to his general
Charles Bonaventure de Longueval, Comte de Bucquoy.
In 1708
the Servite monastery complex was built in the center of the city.
At the beginning of the 19th century, additional glassworks were
built in Niederthal and Georgenthal. In 1802, construction of the
New Palace began on the road to Gmünd, which was completed in 1810
under Georg Franz August von Buquoy and in which a palace theater
played between 1832 and 1836. In 1852 the first mechanically
operated cutting mill went into operation in Jakule. Coming from
Buchers, reverse glass painting found its way into Gratzen.
After the patrimonial jurisdiction was abolished, Gratzen became the
seat of a district court, received a post and telegraph office and a
gendarmerie station. The population almost quadrupled within half a
century from 1272 (1846) to 4525 (1900). This period also saw the
construction of the railway from Pilsen to Vienna, whose route from
1869 passed five kilometers northeast of the city and had a train
station near Jakule.
In 1900, the city of Gratzen had 1,596
inhabitants within its boundaries, of which 1,451 were
German-speaking and 33 were Czech-speaking.
After the
collapse of the Habsburg Monarchy, Gratzen became part of
Czechoslovakia in 1918. The resulting border situation had a
detrimental effect on the city. This also contributed to the fact
that the Gratzen rule was described by official authorities as
choulostivý místo Republiky (the worst spot in the republic). On
July 31, 1920, the villages of Naglitz, Thiergarten and Weißenbach
from the Austrian district of Gmünd were ceded to Czechoslovakia as
a result of the new border definition.
In 1930 the city had
1,264 inhabitants, of which 913 were German and 351 were Czech.
After the Second World War, the German population was expelled;
the Counts Bucquoy were dispossessed. The Cold War that began later
and the establishment of the Iron Curtain led to the desolation of
the Gratzen region, which was now at the end of the (socialist)
world, close to the border fence, which left numerous villages to
decay.
After the Velvet Revolution and the opening of the
border with Austria, the reconstruction of the neglected
infrastructure began and the city renovated its historic buildings.
The surrounding Gratzen mountain region was opened up again for
tourism.
Terčino údolí (also Tereziino údolí) - a national natural
monument declared in 1992, a state nature reserve since 1949 on an
area of 139.29 ha. The first modifications of the open landscape
in the romantic valley of the river Stropnice took place at the
initiative of Terezia Buquoyová, née Paarová in 1765. According to
the oldest surviving plan from 1770, the park is called Beautiful
Valley, in which the Blue House, Wenceslas Spa, Swiss House and
Hamr, set up an artificial waterfall and other landscape features.
After the park was handed over to the Countess' nephew Jiří, the
park was renamed Tereziino údolí. It is an extraordinary example of
early landscape creation.
Červené blato National Nature Reserve
Hojná Voda National Natural Monument
Natural monument Sokolí
hnízdo a bažantnice
Natural monument Horsetail pond
Horní
Stropnice
Cuknštejn Fortress
Nové Hrady Castle
Church of
St. Peter and Paul - parish, first mentioned in 1284. This early
Gothic building was destroyed with the Hussites in 1425 and the army
of Zdeněk of Šternberk in 1467. The new building was completed
around 1590. The Swabian net vault of the presbytery dates from this
time. , the most perfect in southern Bohemia. In 1726, the damaged
Renaissance roof and tower were demolished and replaced by a typical
Baroque octagonal onion dome with a lantern.
Monastery of Divine
Mercy of the Family of the Virgin Mary - Servite monastery. Servite
Monastery at the Church of St. Peter and Paul, was founded in 1677
by the owner of the estate, Count F. Buquoy, as a thank you to the
Virgin Mary for healing from severe injuries in the battle with the
Turks. Restored after 1990 mainly thanks to donations from Austria.
Nové Hrady Chateau
Buquoy residence - at this place there used to
be several detached houses, which were built here by the Rosenbergs.
By combining them and transforming them into the whole complex, the
form of the so-called town palace was created in the years
1634–1635. All this on the instructions of Countess Mary Magdalene
of Biglia, who, after arriving in Nové Hrady in 1626, refused to
inhabit the already unsuitable castle. The Buquoys lived in the
residence until the early 19th century, when they moved to the newly
built castle. After that, the residence was used as an office of the
economic and building office of the estate and as apartments for
employees. After 1945, it was used by a forest plant. Today it
serves as a hotel and restaurant.
Buquoy Tomb
Tannery,
Komenského street
Kovárna, Komenského street - first mentioned in
1719, when it was owned by the blacksmith Ferdinand Grössinger and
it is probable that it was built at this time. The whole building
consists of a living area, barn, barn and its own blacksmith's
workshop. The blacksmith trade was operated here for almost 200
years. Then the building was used for housing. In 2000, the city
bought the former smithy and reconstructed it according to surviving
records. In the building you can see a fully functional historic
smithy, a collection of blacksmith tools and traditional products.
Baroque pharmacy
Town Hall - a Renaissance town hall in the
northwest corner of Republic Square. First mentioned in 1593 as a
municipal house. Its Renaissance origin is revealed by the cross
ridge vaults on the ground floor. The town hall was connected to the
town brewery in the back wing of the building, which was converted
into a pub and later into a cheese factory after a fire in 1906. In
1749, the town hall was rebuilt in the Baroque style, and almost a
hundred years later the wooden ceiling in the rooms and the clock
tower and bell are dated. The facade in the facade is decorated with
the emblems of the city and the Buquoy family.
Novohrad Museum,
Česká street
Zevl's mill
Red Mud National Nature Reserve
National natural monument Hojná
Voda
Novohradská Hory Nature Park
Bird area of Novohradská hora
Presličkový rybník natural monument
Falcon's nest and pheasant nest
natural monument
Stropnice (a site of European importance)
Terčino
údolí (also Terezia's valley) – declared a national natural monument in
1992, a state nature reserve since 1949 on an area of 139.29 ha. The
first modifications of the free landscape in the romantic valley of the
river Stropnice were carried out at the instigation of Terezia
Buquoyová, née Paarová, in 1765. According to the oldest surviving plan
from 1770, the park was called the Beautiful Valley, in which the Blue
House, Wenceslas Baths (Lázničky), the Swiss the house, Hamr rebuilt,
set up an artificial waterfall and other landscape features. After the
park was handed over to the countess's nephew Jiří, the park was renamed
Terezia's Valley. It represents an extraordinary example of early
landscape creation.
Location and Borders
It lies roughly 30 km (19 mi) southeast of
České Budějovice and 20 km south of Třeboň, directly on the
Czech-Austrian border (sharing a road crossing with Pyhrabruck in Lower
Austria). Its geographic coordinates are 48°47′23″N 14°46′42″E
(48.78972°N, 14.77833°E). The municipality spans 79.73–79.75 km² across
eight parts (Nové Hrady proper plus Byňov, Nakolice, Obora, Štiptoň,
Údolí, Veveří, and Vyšné) and nine cadastral territories. Historically a
border guard settlement, parts of its eastern territory were
incorporated only in 1920, and border security zones until 1989 led to
some abandoned settlements.
Topography and Elevation
The town
sits in the foothills of the Novohradské hory (Gratzen Mountains /
Novohradské Mountains), a low-to-medium range on the Czech-Austrian
border after which the mountains are named. Town centre elevation is 541
m above sea level. Within the municipal territory, elevations range from
a minimum of 451 m to a maximum of 950 m (or 825 m on the Austrian
border per some sources), with an average of 531 m. Local peaks include
Vyhlídka (720 m) and Veveří (617 m); broader range summits visible or
accessible nearby exceed 1,000 m (Kamenec 1,072 m, Myslivna 1,040 m,
Vysoká 1,034 m, and Kraví hora 953 m with its observation point). The
terrain is varied and hilly, featuring gentle to moderate slopes,
river-cut valleys, and forested ridges typical of the Hercynian upland
landscape.
Geology and Landforms
Geologically, the area
belongs to the southern Moldanubian Pluton within the Hercynian
(Variscan) orogenic belt. Dominant rocks are late Variscan granites
(medium-grained biotite granites of Weinsberg and Mrákotín types, plus
Freistadt granodiorite) overlying heavily metamorphosed gneisses,
migmatites, cordierite gneisses, quartzites, marbles, and amphibolites.
Erosion, tectonic faulting, and Pleistocene cryogenic (frost) processes
have sculpted distinctive granite landforms: tors, bornhardts, castle
koppies, blockfields, frost-riven cliffs, cryoplanation terraces,
mushroom rocks (e.g., “Napoleon’s Head”), block streams, and ruwares.
These features are especially prominent around Kraví hora (953 m), where
structural joints (NW-SE and NE-SW orientations) control the relief,
creating steep tectonically defined slopes (>20°) and gentler erosional
ones (10–20°). The well-preserved forms (protected by past border
restrictions) give the area high geomorphosite and geoheritage value; it
was designated a Geomorphologically Significant Site in 2002 and forms
part of the Novohradské hory Natural Park (declared 2003).
Hydrology
The Stropnice River (a European Site of Community
Importance) flows through the town and its most scenic feature, Terčino
údolí (Terčino or Tereziino Valley). Here the river was romantically
engineered in the 18th century with an artificial waterfall, cascades,
and park elements. The municipal territory is exceptionally rich in
fishponds (a centuries-old tradition), the largest being Byňovský rybník
(69.7 ha), followed by Nakolický and Kachní rybníky; smaller examples
like Přesličkový rybník are protected as natural monuments.
Crystal-clear mountain streams and wetlands (including peat bogs)
complete the hydrological picture.
Climate
Nové Hrady has a
temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) transitioning toward humid
continental influences due to its elevation and proximity to the
mountains. Annual precipitation averages around 877 mm, higher than
surrounding lowlands, with drier winters (least rain in February) and
wetter summers. Temperatures show marked seasonal variation: cold
winters with regular snowfall and mild summers. The higher, forested
setting moderates extremes but increases humidity and cloud cover
compared to the broader South Bohemian Region.
Protected Areas,
Flora, and Landscape
The town lies within the Novohradské hory
Natural Park and Bird Area, one of the best-preserved forested
landscapes in Czechia. Key protected sites include:
Červené blato
(Red Bog) — National Nature Reserve (peat bog).
Terčino údolí — State
Nature Reserve (139.29 ha since 1949, National Natural Monument since
1992), an outstanding early example of free-style landscape gardening.
Hojná Voda — National Natural Monument.
Žofín Forest — one of the
oldest nature reserves in Central Europe.
Smaller monuments:
Přesličkový rybník and Sokolí hnízdo pheasantry.
Dense coniferous
and mixed forests abound with blueberries; clear streams support rich
biodiversity. The landscape blends natural features (granite outcrops,
valleys, ponds) with subtle human modifications, creating a mosaic of
high ecological and scenic value.