Velhartice is a former town dominated by the Gothic Velhartice Castle. The buildings of the small market square with historic tenement houses have also been preserved here, and Karl Tittel's sculptural works are also an attraction.
The history of the village is related to the local castle, which was built at the end of the 13th century. It stands on an elongated, rocky hill with a nice view of the surrounding region of Šumava. It consists of an older, medieval part, preserved in a state of permanent ruin, and a former renaissance residential part. Both are connected by a brick and stone bridge. Currently, the castle houses a museum presenting the life of the nobility in the 16th and 17th centuries.
On the slopes of the castle hill there is another important attraction of Velhartice, an open-air museum. It shows the everyday life of the population of the Šumava region and consists of several reconstructed farms, both residential and farm buildings.
Below you can see a small market square with a medieval layout. Several half-timbered houses and the Gothic Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary have been preserved here. Another attraction of the village is the work and sculpture shop of Karl Tittl, the creator of the famous mechanical nativity scene, which is currently on display at the Šumava Museum in Susice.
