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

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Orlík nad Vltavou (until 1963: Staré Sedlo, in German: Altsattel) is situated at an elevation of 390 m on the left bank of the river Vltava above the Orlík dam, about 23 km north of the district town Písek, about 64 km northwest of the regional capital České Budějovice and about 66 km southwest of Prague. As of January 2021 the municipality had a population of 282.

The first written reports of Staré Sedlo date back to 1288. The existence of a parish church has also been documented since the end of the 13th century. Until the end of patrimonialism in 1848, the town was part of the Worlik lordship and thus its history was closely linked to that of Worlik (Orlík) castle. The municipality of Worlik (Orlík) was established in 1850 and included the settlements of Königslhota (Králova Lhota), Altsattel (Staré Sedlo), Probulow (Probylow, today Probulov) and Zdiakow (Žďákov u Starého Sedla). In 1880 Králova Lhota and Probulov became independent and the remaining municipality was given the name Staré Sedlo (Altwasser). The Orlík dam was built in 1956–1961 and as a consequence Žďákov disappeared unter the water. In 1963 the name of the well-known castle Orlík was transferred to the municipality.

Orlík castle was established as a royal castle beside a ford across the Vltava River in the second half of the 13th century, probably by Přemysl Otakar II of Bohemia, although in the Middle Ages it came into the hands of noble families and its ownership changed many times. In 1508 the castle burned down, and was rebuilt as a Renaissance château by the new owners, the Lords of Švamberk. In 1623 the Eggenbergs acquired the domain, and in 1717 it was inherited by the Schwarzenbergs. At the beginning of the 19th century it became their main residence. After a fire in 1802 and during the subsequent repair works another, fourth storey was added to the castle. The current Romantic Gothic appearance dates from 1849 to 1860, when partial remodelling in this style was carried out according to plans by Bernhard Grüber. The castle was confiscated by the Communist Regime after 1948, but in 1990s was restituted to the Schwarzenbergs. The original position of the castle, on a spur some 60 m above the Vltava river was altered dramatically by the construction of the Orlík dam in 1956–1961 so that the château today is only a few metres above the water level.

[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orl%C3%ADk_nad_Vltavou; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orl%C3%ADk_Castle]

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