Písek is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 31,000 inhabitants. The town is known for the oldest bridge in the country. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Písek is a centre of education with a number of important schools. Up to the last decades of 19th century, Písek was the centre of the large autonomous Prácheňsko region.