Article Rožmberk Pond

The cadastral area of the pond is 647 ha. The area of the flooded water area at normal water levels is stated to be 489 ha; the difference allows retention in the event of high water. The volume of retained water is 6.3 million m³. The maximum depth reaches 10 m.

Rožmberk is the largest pond in terms of area not only in the Czech Republic, but also in the whole world (assuming that a pond is understood as a facility created by humans and equipped with dams, which allows the filling and draining of water and is used primarily for fish farming).

The story of the Rožmberk Pond began in 1584. At that time, the brilliant regent of the Rožmberk estate, Jakub Krčín of Jelčany and Sedlčany, embarked on an unprecedented construction project. The goal was clear: to tame the unpredictable Lužnice River and create a gigantic reservoir for fish farming.

The construction lasted until 1590 and up to 800 people worked on it every day. Without excavators, without modern technology – only with shovels, wheels and horse saddles. Krčín faced enormous pressure and ridicule that such a work could not stand. But he trusted his intuition and calculations.

This work, combining Renaissance engineering, natural forces and South Bohemian tranquility, has survived with modifications until today. The pond was once even larger than it is today. It is estimated that 1000–1060 ha.

What makes Rožmberk a technical unique place is above all its dam. Its parameters are astonishing even after more than 400 years: It is 2355 meters long and 55–60 meters wide at the base, up to 12 m in the crown and 11 m high. It is planted with centuries-old oaks, whose roots weave an invisible network that strengthens the entire poured structure.
The path along the dam under the crowns of old oak trees is one of the most beautiful routes in the region. It offers incredible views of the water surface, which merges with the sky on the horizon. The grove of sedge oaks is one of the protected monumental trees of the Czech Republic due to its uniqueness.

At the western edge of the dam is the Fishing Museum, which was established in 2025 in cooperation with the Secondary School of Fishing and Water Management in Třeboň. In the museum you will learn about the history of fish farming and other interesting facts related to fish farming.

Below the dam, a small hydroelectric power plant with two Francis turbines with an output of 240 kW has been located at the mouth of the Lužnice River since 1922. The power plant is unique in its location next to a reservoir, the purpose of which is fish farming, so the inlet is equipped with screens to prevent fish from escaping.

During the catastrophic floods of 2002, the massive Rožmberk Dam withstood the storm, saving Prague and other cities from even worse destruction. The pond's retention capacity is enormous – it can hold millions of cubic meters of additional water for a short time.

About 400 m from the museum, a metal crucifix stands on a stone pedestal on the dam. The pedestal is engraved with three carp entwined together. The monument commemorates an event from 1846, when one of the poachers died during a scuffle between fish wardens and poachers. According to the medical report, he died of heart failure, but people still blamed the fisherman for his death. To this day, they say, “Here a poacher was killed for three carp.”