Rabí or Rábí is ruined castle in Southwestern Bohemia (Plzeň Region), on a prominent hill by the central course of the River Otava, in the foothills of Šumava region, 130 kilometres (81 mi) from Prague, Czech Republic. It is the largest castle (in terms of area) from all Czech castles. Its name might derive from the German word raben ("raven"), or it could be mangled Czech name vrab(č)í vrch ("sparrow's peak"). The Rabí Castle was proclaimed as National Cultural Monument in 1978. The first mention of Rábí Castle dates from 1380, although it is not known exactly when it was founded. It is likely that the Lords of Velhartice established it after 1300 to protect trade routes along the Otava and also to inspect gold-bearing deposits in it. They built a strong palace, ramparts and a keep. Subsequent owners, the Švihovský of Rýzmburk family, continued building work and built the outer ward and two square towers. At the start of the Hussite rebellions, the Švihovský family searched for havens of supporters of the Catholic side in the district and for their treasures, at Rábí. In 1420–21, the Hussites conquered the castle twice, and legend has it that during the second siege an arrow fired from crossbow hit the trunk of a pear tree and a resulting splinter from the tree hit Jan Žižka in his only good eye. In 1479, the provincial governor Půta Švihovský of Rýzmberk became the owner of the estate and began with a thoughtful remodelling of the castle under the guidance of famous master Benedict Rejt. New living quarters and service buildings were constructed, the castle was enlarged and the fortifications heightened. Rabí Castle was, from the very start, envisioned as a donjon-type castle. It was built in the form of three separate sections, constructed in tiers above each other. The ramparts were up to 6 metres (20 ft) wide, and had bastions, vallum fortifications and moats. However, building activity exhausted the Švihovský family's finances and the fortifications remained incomplete.

Rabí je zřícenina hradu ležící ve stejnojmenném městě na vyvýšeném ostrohu nad řekou Otavou v nadmořské výšce 540 metrů, asi 8 kilometrů severovýchodně od Sušice. Svojí rozlohou zhruba 1 hektar je největším hradem v Česku. Od počátku 14. století stávala na místě dnešního hradu tvrz pánů z Velhartic. V červnu roku 1421 byla obléhána a dobyta husity; při obléhání přišel o druhé (pravé) oko Jan Žižka rukou Přibíka Kocovského. V 15. století proběhla rozsáhlá přestavba, při níž došlo k rozšíření rozlohy hradu a bylo zesíleno jeho opevnění. Uprostřed byl postaven donjon s obytnou i obrannou funkcí, celkový prostor hradu byla rozčleněn na tři části které bylo možné hájit samostatně. Roku 1498 byla dokončena hradní kaple. Hrad byl vypleněn během třicetileté války a v 18. století vyhořel. Částečně byl renovován od roku 1920. V současnosti je přístupný veřejnosti, v rekonstruovaných prostorách je umístěno malé muzeum. Hrad je národní kulturní památkou.

on the square https://www.hrad-rabi.eu/cs/informace-pro-navstevniky/vstupne https://www.hrad-rabi.eu/cs/informace-pro-navstevniky/vstupne https://www.hrad-rabi.eu/cs/informace-pro-navstevniky/vstupne Free: - Children up to 6 years old - Holders of the ZTP / P card and the ZTP guide - Holders of the ZTP card up to 18 years of age - ICOM Card Holders, ICOMOS, Association of Museums and Galleries of the Czech Republic - Employers' ID cards holders (max 1 + 3 family members), holders of free tickets to the NPU - Journalists after prior accreditation

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