Walking Circuit through Vimperk

1. Náměstí Svobody – Lower Fountain - This 18th-century fountain originally featured a sculpture that has since been lost. In 2005, it was replaced with a concrete statue of the Virgin Mary Immaculate. The Old Town Hall (No. 8) houses the Gothic cellar with the mini-museum of the Golden Path. Note: Now part of the Steinbrener printing house.

2. Náměstí Svobody – Upper Fountain - Also from the 18th century. In the centre stands a life-size sandstone statue of St. Florian from the 19th century.

3. Golden Path – City Walls - Vimperk has preserved a belt of medieval city walls around nearly its entire historic perimeter. The oldest part of the fortifications, dating to the second half of the 15th century, can be seen to the right along the narrow Zlatá stezka (Golden Path) lane.

4. Golden Path – Bastions - Above the square stands a large bastion surrounded by a group of small houses. A small gate was opened here in the city walls, overlooking the Volyňka valley. This is the beginning of the second walking circuit.

5. Viewpoint - From the lookout on Zahradní Street, one can see how the town is situated in relation to the castle.

6. Way of the Cross - On the hill above the Vimperk hospital stands the Stations of the Cross. It was founded in 1877 by local citizen and printer Johann Steinbrener.

7. Haselburg - A unique, standalone forward artillery bastion from 1479 that used to be part of the castle’s fortifications. It served to defend the northern side of the chateau. Above the entrance gate is a stone plaque with the coat of arms of the Kaplíř family of Sulevice.

8. Lower Chateau - What is now the lower courtyard was originally an outer bailey, separated from the main castle by a moat. In the 16th century, the area was converted into the lower chateau, featuring arcaded gardens and, among other buildings, a brewery.

9. Upper Chateau - The oldest parts of the castle core, such as the ground floor of Vlček’s Tower, date from the mid-13th century. Between 1530 and 1560, the castle was expanded and rebuilt by the Lords of Hradec and the Rosenbergs into a Renaissance chateau. Its current appearance is the result of a major fire in 1857. Today, the museum located here features permanent exhibitions on glassmaking, printing, and Šumava nature.

10. Vimperk Castle and Chateau

11. Chapel of the 14 Holy Helpers - A Baroque building on the old Vimperk cemetery, founded in 1708 by glassmaker Michal Müller of Šumava.

12. Church of St. Bartholomew - The oldest sacral building in Vimperk, dating from the late 13th century. It was remodelled in the early 18th century in pseudo-Gothic style. The interior houses valuable medieval wall paintings and tombstones from the 15th to 17th centuries. The church is surrounded by the old Vimperk cemetery.

13. Black Gate (Černá brána) - This gate once guarded access to the castle and is part of the remarkably preserved city fortifications. The right to build them was granted to Petr Kaplíř of Sulevice in 1479 by King Vladislaus II of Bohemia.

14. Golden Path - Part of the Vimperk branch of the Golden Path, which connected Bohemia to the Danube region and served primarily for the trade of salt – a highly valuable commodity of its time.

15. House "U jelena" (At the Deer) - A distinctive burgher house located at a narrow section of Pivovarská Street. Its current Renaissance appearance dates to the 17th century, while the original Gothic house is older. The facade features paintings from the 18th century, including a mural depicting the legend of St. Hubert, with a sculpture of a stag’s head fitted with real antlers and a crucifix.

16. Log Houses No. 11, 16, and 18 - Near the site of the former Lower Town Gate, these timbered houses are built into the slope and likely date back to the 17th century. They are typical examples of Šumava folk architecture. They underwent complete restoration in the 20th century.

17. Steinbrener House No. 3 - Formerly known as the “House at the Elephant” – Here Johann Steinbrener began working as a bookbinder in 1855. After the house burned down in 1861, he had it rebuilt.

18. City Belfry - The city belfry is a prism-shaped tower, separated from the Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary. It was built around 1500 in the late Gothic style. After partial destruction by fire in 1861, it was repaired in 1866. Original architectural elements such as the stone-framed doorway, Gothic string course, and oriel corbel have been preserved.

19. Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary - This parish church, dating from around the 14th century, closes off the lower part of the square. The presbytery, sacristy and south portal were probably built around 1365, though their origins may be older – perhaps early Gothic. In 1500, the Chapel of St. Anne was added.