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Jindřichův Hradec is situated at an altitude of 478 m on the river Nežárka in South Bohemia. The settlement goes back to a castle that was built around 1200 by Jindřich of the Vítkovec family on a cliff at the Nežárka river and the Hamerský stream. Jindřich was first mentioned in records of 1220 with the nickname "de nova domu" or "de nova castro", which became the origin of the town's german name, Neuhaus. In 1495, the first (hand-written) newspaper in the Czech language was published here. By the second half of the 16th century, Jindřichův Hradec had become the second city in Bohemia after Prague, and until the 18th century it ranked among the largest cities of Bohemia. Today, Jindřichův Hradec has a population of about 23,000 inhabitants. The historic centre preserved many monuments and houses of the Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance periods.

The impressive Baroque Plague Column [left] on the superb Renaissance main square was erected in the 18th century.