Two settlements were standing already at the start of the 13th century in the swampy Budějovice hollow at the confluence of the Malše and Vltava rivers - Rožnov, belonging to the Lords of Růže, and Budějovice, named after the son of Čéče of Železnice Budivoj. It was exactly the efforts of King Přemysl Otakar II to stem the expansion of the Vítkovici nobles that made him decide in 1263 to found a new royal town.
The Rožmberk chronicler, Václav Březan writes: "In 1263 Master Hirzo or Hyrš, knight and burgrave of Zvíkov under Přemysl, the second king of that name, on the order of his king made a plan of a monastery in Budějovice, being not yet a town but rather an unwalled township."
The founder of the new town chose marshland between a branch of the Vltava and its confluence with the Malše which had first to be drained by building the Mlýnská canal. Out of the almost regular oval, bordered by three rivers, Hirzo created a rectangular network leading out of the square.
Budějovice became rich through the right to compel all goods carried along the Linz route between Austria and Bohemia to pass through it. The town's inhabitants concerned themselves particularly with the export of cloth which was in great demand. Budějovice enjoyed several privileges, and during the Saxon invasion and occupation of Prague in the Thirty Years' War the Bohemian crown jewels and royal archives were secreted here.
In 1751 the town became the regional centre. Its growth was stimulated even more by the introduction of water-borne transport of goods to Prague and the building of a horse-drawn railway to Linz.
Fire and flood presented the greatest danger for Budějovice as well as other medieval towns with mainly wooden buildings. The town suffered its worst catastrophe in 1641. On July 24 of that year a field surgeon quartered in the house of Řehoř Miller was preparing a medicament for a lieutenant of the regiment of Maxmilián Valdštejn and forgot some inflammable material on the stove. The fire spread from the chimney to the roof and within seven hours 226 houses, the St. Nicholas Church and part of the town walls had burned down. Only the cellars remained of the Gothic and Renaissance buildings destroyed by the fire; the new buildings which then arose gave the town a Baroque aspect which has been mainly preserved till today.
The best view of the town's memorable monuments can be obtained from the gallery of the Černá Věž (Black Tower), the former belfry of the St. Nicholas Church and the watch tower. The foundations of the Black Tower, built on oak piles, were laid in 1549 by Hons Vlach (Hans Spatz or Spatio) who reconstructed Červená Lhota. It was built up to a height of 70m by Vincenc Vogarelli.
Looking downwards from the gallery you can see the roofs of the St. Nicholas Church, rebuilt after the great fire by Ciprian and Canevalle. The church contains the remains of St. Auratian.
Despite all later alterations, the square measuring 133 metres on all sides has retained its medieval charm. The dominant building is the town hall, remodelled in 1727-1730 by the Schwarzenberg builder, Martinelli. The allegorical statues of Justice, Wisdom, Courage and Prudence on top are by Josef Dietrich, who also created the large Samson fountain (1721-1727) in the middle of the square.
Looking across to the right of the square you can see the former Dominican monastery with the Church of the Offering of Our Lady. The church contains a panel picture of Mary the Protector, to which various miracles are ascribed, e.g. the saving of the town from the plague in 1713.
Close to the church stands the Solnice (Salt house) from 1531, which was originally the town armoury, but when trade in salt grew, it was used for storing this rare commodity. Part of the town walls between the Železná Panna (Iron Virgin) and Rabenstein defence towers have been preserved. Also worth mentioning are the old butcher's shops, once a market and today the most popular Budějovice pub. České Budějovice beer was so famous for its taste and quality that Ferdinand 1 had it fetched regularly to his court.
One of the oldest Budějovice legends is about the "wandering stone", five-sided with a cross hewn into it and set in the pavement near the Samson fountain. It marks the place where ten young men, accused of conspiracy and murder, were executed in 1478. It is said that anyone who steps across it after 9 o'clock in the evening loses his way in the town.
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