Písek is a town in the northern part of the South Bohemian Region. It lies in the valley of the Otava river, where the historic core meets the watercourse. The Písecké hory hills adjoin the eastern edge of the town, and to the south and southwest extends a landscape of fishponds merging into the foothills of Šumava. From Písek the Otava flows north and after about twenty kilometres joins the Vltava at Zvíkov Castle. The town lies on the route of the former Zlatá stezka (Golden Trail) and today on the tourist route between Prague and Český Krumlov [1].
Founding and name
The name of the town refers to the gold-bearing sand in the Otava, where gold was panned since at least the time of the Celts. This activity was among the reasons why the Czech king Wenceslaus I founded a castle and a town here in the first half of the 13th century. The oldest written mention of Písek is in a charter of Wenceslaus I from 1243 [1].
Medieval development
Trade and production brought the town rapid growth. Písek was visited and supported by other rulers, among them Ottokar II of Bohemia, Charles IV and Wenceslaus IV. Already in the High Middle Ages Písek was the centre of the extensive Prácheň region, which covered a large part of southwestern Bohemia [1].
The Hussite period
Before the outbreak of the Hussite Wars, the town sided with the Utraquists, and from 1419 to 1452 it functioned as a self-governing Hussite town republic. The military leader Jan Žižka occasionally stayed in Písek, the Hussite bishop Mikuláš Biskupec resided here, and the municipal property was managed by the captain Matěj Louda of Chlumčany. The period after the Hussite Wars brought the town prosperity, accompanied by costly building projects and purchases of municipal estates [1].
Disasters of the 16th and 17th centuries
The town's development was interrupted by the failed anti-Habsburg uprising of 1546 to 1547 and then by the revolt against the ruler at the start of the Thirty Years' War. In 1619 and 1620 Písek was stormed three times. The last capitulation on 30 September 1620 meant catastrophe for the town: Habsburg soldiers massacred a large part of the inhabitants and burned most of the houses. Recovery was slow, hampered by fires, epidemics and troop passages, among them a stay of several months by French and Bavarian soldiers in 1741 and 1742 [1].
The 19th century and modernisation
From the 19th century the appearance of the town changed: development spread beyond the medieval walls, and streets of rental houses arose in the suburbs. Czech prevailed as the official language at the town hall, and cultural institutions and associations were established. Písek became a sought-after resort and a destination for tourists, described as a "town in a sea of forests". Industry also developed here in this period; production of fezzes, a tobacco factory and a malthouse were founded. On 23 June 1887 František Křižík introduced arc-lamp lighting in Písek, which is cited as the first permanent public electric lighting in Bohemia [1].
The 20th century and the postwar period
The Nazi occupation brought hardship to the town, which ended with the arrival of American troops on 6 May 1945. After the war new plants arose on the edge of the town, among them the Jitex textile mill, along with new housing estates. During the socialist period heavy industry did not reach Písek, thanks to which the town kept its historic and quiet character. In August 2002 Písek coped with a flood described as a thousand-year one [1].
Character of the town
The source states that Písek is spoken of as the "Athens of South Bohemia", the "town of schools and students", the "town of pensioners", the "Mecca of violinists" and also as the "town in a sea of forests". These designations refer to the role of schooling, the cultural and educational background, and the surrounding forest landscape [1].
Pages linking here
- Central Bohemian Region
- D4 motorway
- Drought emergency in the South Bohemian Region (6 October 2026)
- Road I/20
- South Bohemian Region