Strakonice

Strakonice is a town of about 22,000 inhabitants in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, at the confluence of the Volyňka and Otava rivers, about 51 kilometres northwest of České Budějovice. It lies mostly in the northern tip of the České Budějovice Basin, with parts of its territory reaching into the Blatná Uplands and the Bohemian Forest Foothills. The name derives from the personal name Strakoň, so it means the village of Strakoň's people. A moated castle was built here by the Bavor of Strakonice family at the start of the 13th century, the village is first mentioned in 1243, and by 1318 Strakonice was a town. For centuries its history was tied to the Knights Hospitaller, who owned the castle, the town and the surrounding estate by 1402. The town industrialised in the 19th century, helped by the railway built in the 1860s, and it is known for fez manufacture, small arms and motorbikes. The castle, now a regional museum, is its main landmark, and the town hosts the biennial International Bagpipe Festival, held since 1967.