Only 30 km from the German border, Sušice forms one of the natural gateways into the heart of the Šumava National Park. The town spreads along the banks of the Otava River at the altitude of 465 metres above sea level with the Kalovy Hills around serving as a lovely backdrop. The population is about 11 500 people.
Sušice was once a settlement of Slavic gold prospectors on the banks of the gold-bearing Otava river. The first written record dates back to 1233. In 1257, the Czech king Přemysl Otakar II. acquired the region and began to build a royal town to support his power. Sušice took a great advantage of its strategic position by the Golden trade route leading form Prague to Passau in Bavaria. In the 19th century, Sušice gained a worldwide reputation for the production of phosphorous and later safety matches.