An important place among the fortification buildings belongs to the Švihov water castle, built at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries on the site of a former fortress with the participation of the builder Benedikt Riet. The core of the castle consists of two residential wings, which are enclosed by internal regular courtyards.
In the east, the presbytery of the chapel protrudes from the fence, in the west there is a massive prismatic tower. Around it ran the bailey, reinforced with bastions and surrounded by another moat.
The castle interiors bring visitors closer to life in the 16th century. The chapel houses valuable sculptures, and the castle armoury is also remarkable.
The castle houses a valuable set of Gothic art from the collections of the National Gallery. Historical exhibitions alternate in the exhibition hall.
If we were to summarize what makes this monument so unique, then we will undoubtedly think of the enormous visionary that prompted the creation of the building. To build a perfectly protected building with ingenious equipment capable of flooding the surroundings with water in an instant (including the inner courtyard of the castle) and draining it again without the castle suffering damage, it required not only great imagination, but also considerable architectural experience. The West Bohemians thus have the best-preserved and at the same time the largest water castle in Bohemia in their Švihov “district”.
