Jihočeský kraj Vimperk The Vimperk castle was founded in m mid-13th century and served as a stronghold guarding the Golden Road leading from Bavaria to Bohemia. The castle changed owners often – it was owned by the Janovic family, the Kaplíř of Sulevice family, the Malovec of Chýnov family and in the end landed in the hands of Jáchym of Hradec. He sold the castle to the Rožmberks who turned the inhospitable Gothic castle into a Renaissance residence in which they took shelter during plague epidemics. In the early 17th century it was owned by the Novohradský of Kolovraty family and from this era come its unique painted ceilings. In 2010 it was declared a national cultural property and from January 2015 it is in the care of the National Heritage Institute. +420 388 411 506 vimperk@npu.cz www.zamek-vimperk.cz