Frymburk was first recorded in 1277. At first it belonged to the lord of Český Krumlov, from 1302 on it was property of the House of Rosenberg (the current coat of arms is derived from the Rosenberg arms). In 1379 Frymburk was awarded market rights by the Rosenbergs. Back then it was situated at a trade route from Austria to Bohemia and had now gained the right to charge a toll for the bridge across the river Vltava, which made Frymburk an economically important place in the region. From the 16th century on, Frymburk had its own brewery after Wilhelm von Rosenberg had granted brewery rights. In the late 16th century Frymburk had already 118 houses. In the mid-17th century during the 30 Years War the town was destroyed and burnt down by Swedish troops under Arvid Wittenberg. In 1676 Frymburk changed its lord once more and now belonged to the House of Buquoy. Another disaster occurred in 1856 when a fire destroyed the town square and 54 houses. Even in the late 19th century the town was still of import for the region, as could be seen by the installation of streets lights as early as 1881 and the introduction of a telegraph station in 1884.
The most significant change at Frymburk occurred in 1959 when the Lipno dam was built and the reservoir was flooded, which submerged several buildings. Today Frymburk is mainly a resort town that is visited by scores of tourists each year. Attractions include the Šumava National Park and the Lipno reservoir. Therefore many anglers, hikers and cyclists can be found here, as well as numerous ski tourists during the winter season.
Since 2007 Frymburk qualifies as a market town again
