Veselí nad Lužnicí is situated on the northern edge of the Třeboň Basin and is known for its fishponds and pine forests.

There are five artificial lakes south of the town, used for recreational purposes; these were created between 1952 and 1986 by flooding former gravel and sand quarries.

The southern part of the municipal territory lies in the Třeboňsko Protected Landscape Area, which was declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

The first written mention of Veselí is from 1259, when it was a hamlet and a redoubt on the salt road from Austria to Prague.

It was Peter Vok of Rosenberg, a famous fishpond founder and supporter, who let the town grow again a hundred years later.

The D3 motorway (part of the European route E55) from České Budějovice to Tábor runs next to the town.