Golden peak | Skály
Skály
The village of Skály with an area of 1776 ha is located in the south of the district of Písek, approximately 5 km northwest of Protivín. It includes three smaller settlements – Božovice, Budičovice and Dvorce and has a population of 273.
The first record of Skály comes from 1365 and the next from 1430 when King Sigismund Luxembourg gave the land in Skály and Budičovice to a Jan Kočka. A Kašpar Litochleb of Strachotín obtained Skály around 1536 and it was he who probably constructed the fort here, or converted it from an older building. To the end of the 16th century and right up to 1623 Skály belonged to the town of Písek, from whom it was purchased by Count Merode. Skály was held by the Schwarzenbergs from the year 1800 until the land reforms of 1923.
Budičovice contains a historic walled centre, designated a reservation area on 22.9.1995.
Božovice fort lies on a promontory above an artificial lake. The first records mentioning the fort date from the year 1443 when it was owned by Mr Jaroš of Drahonice.
Nearby Dvorce was the seat of the local nobility. It was bought in 1700 by the Schwarzenbergs who built a distillery here which operated until 1950. It then became a state breeding farm for Písek and in 1991 it was obtained by Miroslav Strnad who curently farms here.
There are a number of community organisations: Skály volunteer fire department, Skály hunters society, Skály sports club and the Budičovice-Skály citizens association.
The village lies on the Pilsen – České Budějovice train line and the road from Protivín to Ražice. The pub on the village square opens from 11am in season.
