Rakovice (Písek District)

Rakovice is a municipality and village in Písek District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 200 inhabitants.

Etymology
The name is derived from the personal name Rak, meaning "the village of Rak's people".

Geography
Rakovice is located about 19 km north of Písek and 68 km southwest of Prague. It lies on the border between the Tábor Uplands and Benešov Uplands. The Skalice River flows through the eastern part of the municipal territory. The highest point is the hill Jezvinec at 545 m above sea level. There are several fishponds in the municipality.

History
The first written mention of Rakovice is from 1045, when Duke Bretislav I donated the village to the Břevnov Monastery.

In the Rakovice watermill, on 12 May 1945, the commander of the German Waffen-SS army Carl Friedrich von Pückler-Burghauss signed the capitulation and thus ended the Battle of Slivice, which was the last battle of World War II in Europe.

Transport
The I/4 road from Prague to Písek passes through the municipality.

Sights
The most important monument is the Rakovice Castle. It was built in the Baroque style in 1728–1730. The castle complex also includes several other Baroque buildings and a landscape park.

In the centre of Rakovice is the Chapel of Saint John of Nepomuk. It is a simple rural chapel, built in the late Baroque style in 1791–1792.

Twin towns – sister cities
Rakovice is twinned with:
 * 🇸🇰 Rakovice, Slovakia