České Budějovice * Budweis Jížní Čechy*South Bohemia*Zuid-Bohemen It is a regional cultural and industrial centre lying amid lakes at the confluence of the Vltava (Moldau) and Malše rivers. Founded and fortified in 1265 by the Bohemian king Otakar II, the city is rich in medieval architecture and has one of the largest arcaded town squares in Europe, with the Baroque Samson’s Fountain in the middle.