ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA	CZECH REPUBLIC
Jihočeský kraj	South Bohemia (České Budějovice) region
Okres: Tábor

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Bechyně is situated at an elevation of 427 m on the river Lužnice (Luschnitz, Lainsitz) in South Bohemia. The provincia Bechinensis was first mentioned in the Chronica Boemorum (1119–1125) as the seat of the church administration of a large part of southern Bohemia. In 1268, the estates were taken over by the royal chamber under Přemysl Otakar II. Soon after that, in 1283, the first burgraves of Bechyně were mentioned, demonstrating that Bechyně had become a royal stronghold. Under Otakar's succesor, Johann of Luxembourg, Bechyně obtained the status of a town. After that, the ownership of the town changed several times. During the Hussite Wars, Bechyně at first remained loyal to Emperor Sigismund, but was conquered by the hussites from nearby Tábor in 1422–1428. Bechyně began to flourish again only after it came into possession of the Rožmberk family in 1569. The medicinal waters of Bechyně were already known in the 16th century. Its fame grew when springs of mineral water, rich in iron, were discovered in 1728, and on the basis of this and the peat here, a spa was established which still functions today.

The castle above the town goes back to the old stronghold of the late 13th century. After the Bechyně estates were bought by Petr Vok of Rožmberk in 1569, the old Gothic castle was rebuilt as an imposing Renaissance mansion. Because of his high debts, Petr Vok sold the estates back to the Šternberks in 1596 and moved his court to Třeboň in 1602. In 1761, the castle came in possession of the Paar family.

The picture on glass no. 1877 [far left] shows the old bathhouse (lázně) [top left] and the Villa Přemyslovka (vila Přemyslovka) [top right]. The latter is also depicted on glass no. 2576 [near left: top right], which also shows Villa Božena (vila Božena) [top left].

The Bechyně Baths are some of the oldest Bohemian baths, the curative values of which can be found in records over 400 years old. The oldest known printed report of the Baths Libuše in Bechyně dates from 1730. Until 1816 the baths belonged to the Bechyně governance. In 1884 a company established in Prague bought the baths and dapted them to meet all balneological and hygienic requirements. At the turn of the century the ownership of the baths changed frequently.

The old main building of the Libuše Baths is shown on glass no. 2000 [near left]. A new, modern building was constructed behind it in the 1930's in the new modern style. In 1948 the baths were nationalised and have been under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health and Social Security since 1957. At that time, the name of the baths was changed from the traditional "Baths Libuše" to "Czechoslovak State Baths Třeboň, Health Resort Bechyně". Since 1992 the Baths "Lázně Bechyně s.r.o." has been a private health centre specializing in skeletomuscular treatment and reconditioning. Peat is used as the natural curative source and is delivered to the baths from its own peatland on the moorland of Veselí nad Lužnicí.

The railway bridge [left, no. 4329, and right, no. 1313] across the river Lužnice (the 'Bechyně rainbow') was built in 1926–1928. The ferroconcrete bridge rises 50 m above the river. The central span has a width of 90 m and a height of 38 m. The railroad from Bechně to Tábor, opened in 1903, was the first electric railway line in Central Europe.
[https://pamatkovykatalog.cz/bechynsky-most-15191313]