One of the reasons I came to České Budějovice was its location betwixt two UNESCO World Heritage sites. Ever since I first stumbled upon the list on the UNESCO website in August 2004 I’ve been trying to visit as many as possible. In the two…Read More

One of the reasons I came to České Budějovice was its location betwixt two UNESCO World Heritage sites. Ever since I first stumbled upon the list on the UNESCO website in August 2004 I’ve been trying to visit as many as possible. In the two years, eight months since I’ve managed to tick off 48 sites in 17 countries, over three continents.

Visiting Český Krumlov was easy, with frequent trains and buses. The preserved village of Holašovice, though nearer to České Budějovice proved harder to get to. As the girl in the tourist information office said when I asked what the best way was to reach the place: “It is just a little village; I think there is nothing for you there!” And indeed, the village is not on any rail line. A local bus does make the journey from the coach station a couple of times a day, but at awkward times. It came to my last day in České Budějovice and I had still not managed to pay it a visit. It was a Sunday and the first (and indeed only) bus was at 14.25 – a good half hour after my train to Prague.

However, let no one say I give up easily. 11am saw me approach a taxi in the main square. How much to Holašovice? 600CK. A bit of haggling in pidgin Czech and we agreed on 1000CK for a round trip, which was more than I had hoped for, but was still only around £20, the going rate for a taxi back from Manchester city centre to my parents’ house in the suburbs. Plus, if I was half serious about trying to visit as many sites as possible it would be terrible to have left one ignored when I was only 15km away and had almost three hours to kill anyway. So I got more cash out of the ATM and hopped in.

The route first lead out through the western suburbs of the city. As with the town centre the buildings were painted in pastel shades, but here they were neat, balconied tower-blocks with massive four-storey numbers painted on the sides – block 74, block 76, etc. From there we spurred off down winding country roads, tarmacked but sliding off into ditches without any kerb. To either side we passed fields, ponds and thickets of fir and birch. Ahead the hills rose, thickly carpeted with woodland.

It was at this point, as the taxi driver answered his mobile phone with one hand, changed gear with the other and steered us around a sweeping bend with his knees, that I noticed his gun.

When I say ‘gun’ I mean an automatic pistol in a holster tucked next to his seat. Maybe this is not noteworthy to Americans or Europeans, but in the UK we just don’t see guns very often, other than in museums, the odd air rifle in Scouts, and the weapons carried by armed policemen at the airport. So I hope you will forgive me if my mind was suddenly running over the following facts: a man with a gun, who had just seen me get a wodge of cash out of an ATM, was even now driving me out into the forests and hills of central Europe. I thought, What would the Hoff do? Sadly, my lack of a talking car let me down on that one, so I just sat tight and said nothing when the man changed radio channels and the taxi filled with the tortured strains of James Blunt.

Of course, all this was just my over-active imagination. I was never in any danger, though it does beg the question why taxi drivers need to be armed? Is crime that big a risk to them? Surely that would not be the case out here in the countryside as the continued through villages of ever-decreasing size, and the road began to swerve up rises and low hills. Finally we reached Holašovice itself. The village is tiny – a village green surrounded by houses, that’s about it. The green was marked by a restaurant, a pond, and a microscopic church painted a butter yellow. It maybe had standing room for a dozen inside, if that. Beside it a tall pole supported a stork’s nest.

The houses around the green have very ornate frontages, and are made of stone, nicely plastered, prettily painted, and decorated. The dates on them ranged between 1833 and 1890. The town itself was founded at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries by the Holasics (“the people of the Holas’ yeoman”), but a plague epidemic between 1520 and 1522 left only two villagers alive. It was in recognition of the village’s nineteenth-century ‘rural Baroque’ architecture that UNESCO deemed this place a World Heritage Site. Outside each house stood a wooden ‘nodding-donkey’ type contraption, which served as that family’s well. Double doors lead into courtyards, with the farm compound arranged around it.

A mere two steps out off the centre and the roads petered out into mud as they descended past farms and fields. Returning to the green I watched the villagers as they went about their business. Two old fellers sat outside a bar (on a Sunday morning!), and some Nora-Batty-esque women with smocks and rumpled socks rested on benches outside their houses squinting as they turned their faces to the sun. A historical reservation Holašovice might be, but people still inhabited it and went about their daily lives.

There is a vistor centre set off one corner of the green, but without it there is not an awful lot to see and do in Holašovice. Twenty or thirty minutes does it. Heaven knows how long the coach trips I saw advertised in Prague that take in both Holašovice and Český Krumlov must take.

Driving back towards České Budějovice I was now able to compare those villages we passed through with what I had seen at Holašovice. None were as homogeneous, as you might expect of towns located along, rather than at the end of, a road. And they certainly were not as pristine. They were not listed by UNESCO, and so they had missed out on any grant money that might have been going. A pity because, in their own way they were charming. Dubné for example has a church topped by a huge twiggy stork’s nest in the manner of a crown of thorns.

Holašovice is a good example of rural Bohemian village life. However, because of this, and the fact it has been preserved as such, it is actually not as typical as it might be. Instead it has been renovated, given a new lick of paint, and preserved in aspic. The villagers seem to go about their lives unconcerned, but it is not hard to see how its UNESCO listing has distanced it from the other towns and villages of the area. For those interested in village life a trip is well worthwhile. For those trying to visit as many UNESCO World Heritage Sites as possible a trip is necessary. But for anyone else I would class it more as an interesting (and expensive) diversion.Close

If you're based in Ceske Budejovice, it's worth exploring the region of South Bohemia where small medieval towns were built amidst forests of spruce and pine or on the banks of one of the tributaries of the Vltava River. The small town of Prachatice, 60kms…Read More

If you're based in Ceske Budejovice, it's worth exploring the region of South Bohemia where small medieval towns were built amidst forests of spruce and pine or on the banks of one of the tributaries of the Vltava River.

The small town of Prachatice, 60kms west of Ceske Budejovice for example, has untouched medieval buildings with a taste of Bavaria while Trebon, 30kms east boasts a splendid historical castle still undiscovered by tourists. In an area of unparalleled natural beauty, the small village of Rozmberg has the largest natural carp pond in the country while the town of Pisek, constructed on the embankment of the Volary River has a stone bridge which comes a close second when compared with the famous Karluv bridge in Prague.

All this may seem interesting to travellers who intend to explore the region. However, if your time is limited, it's better to stick to one or two towns rather than move quickly from one to another without having the opportunity to discover and taste the historical atmosphere, culture, folklore and architecture of the area.

The small picturesque town of Cesky Krumlov, 25kms south of Ceske Budejovice and world famous for its preserved 13th-century Gothic castle and its numerous medieval buildings and narrow meandering streets is a favourite among group tours and travel agents. It has lately become a haven for Austrian and Italian tourists. To get a taste of the town's architectural beauty and to visit the castle's interior, you require at least a full day of sightseeing. If however you want to escape from the crowds of tourists and backpackers, it's advisable to take a day trip to each of the following:

1. Hluboka nad Vltavou is a small town 8kms north of Ceske Budejovice and easily accessible by frequent bus from the bus station in Ceske Budejovice. Buses run all day long and there's at least one bus every hour except on Sunday when buses are limited. If you have your own transport, take the E49 north and then drive along motorway 105 which is clearly signposted and leads you close to the town. The Tourist Information Office at Masarykova 35 in front of the church can provide maps, free brochures and information about Hluboka Castle.

Built in the 13th-century, this castle was rebuilt and renovated several times over the years. What you see today is the last impressive reconstruction of the mid-19th-century carried out by the rich Schwarzenberg family. This huge romantic castle in neo-Gothic style was remodelled after England's Windsor Castle. Its external architecture in stone was given a facelift a couple of years ago and is now in tiptop condition. The castle's interior rooms are furnished with elaborately carved wooden ceilings (removed from the Schwarzenbergs' residence at Cesky Krumlov), fine furniture and priceless paintings. About one third of the castle's rooms that can be visited on guided tours only are open April to October 9am to 4:30pm, closed on Monday. Tickets for tours in English (three daily at 11am, 2pm and 4pm) cost 100Kc equivalent to US$3.50 and they include a short detour to the Alsova Jihoceska Galerie housed in the adjoining former riding school. Being the second-largest art collection in Bohemia, it includes numerous interesting Gothic sculptures from the area and Dutch paintings. The extensive surrounding park laid out by the landowning Schwarzenberg family is open all year round and is worth exploring. Stroll towards the entrance to the castle's main chapel, its facade decorated with an unusual large yellow iron structure and enjoy the view of the surrounding untouched countryside.

2. Tabor, 50kms northeast of Ceske Budejovice can be reached easily by train since all trains between Ceske Budejovice and Prague pass through here. The Tourist Information Office at Zizkovo namesti 2 can help you with anything related to the town, transport and accommodation. The highlight of Tabor is Zizkovo namesti, a medieval square lined with burgher houses and the imposing Renaissance Town Hall which houses the Museum of the Hussite Movement. From the museum, you can go down a 650 metres stretch of 15th-century underground passages used formerly as war shelters and food stores. Enter through the arch on Zizkovo namesti and walk along Marianska, which soon leads into Klokotska. This street runs southwest to Bechyne Gate, which houses the modest Peasant Museum. Nothing remains of the adjoining 12th-century castle but you can climb the reconstructed round tower for a breathtaking view of the Luznice River and the surrounding countryside.

The founding of the town of Ceske Budejovice at the confluence of the rivers Vltava and Malse by King Premysl Otakar II in 1265 was a step towards strengthening the royalty in South Bohemia. Like all medieval towns, Ceske Budejovice was built around a central…Read More

The founding of the town of Ceske Budejovice at the confluence of the rivers Vltava and Malse by King Premysl Otakar II in 1265 was a step towards strengthening the royalty in South Bohemia. Like all medieval towns, Ceske Budejovice was built around a central square and enclosed in a ring of defensive walls to provide strong support against feudal clans who were expanding their territory further north. Outside the walls, the town's suburbs were taken over by large agricultural estates that provided work for most of the population which numbered about 4 thousand in the 14th-century.

The town grew rapidly both physically and economically. Wide streets and splendid burgher houses were constructed. Business was encouraged thanks to the town's favourable position along established commercial routes. At the same time, the Bohemian king granted numerous privileges to the town and its citizens ensuring more economic prosperity. Economic development wasn't even hindered in the course of the turbulent 15th-century when large stretches of Europe were taken over by the Hussite Movement, spearheaded by a clan of anti-Catholic warriors who attacked and captured numerous Catholic towns. The 16th-century brought again an unprecedented economic growth particularly through silver mining, beer brewing and salt production. Situated at the crossroads between the Czech Kingdom and the Danube Basin, Ceske Budejovice controlled the major trade route between Austria and the northern countries. The profits earned through such economic activity were invested by the population to construct new buildings and to renovate what already existed. A Town Hall was built, the surrounding defensive walls were strengthened, the 70 metres high Black Tower was constructed to guard over the city and a mint was established to process the silver of the nearby silver mines.

The 17th-century however saw a number of incidents which halted for a while the economic boom the town experienced during the 16th-century. The Thirty Years' War of 1618-1648 which devastated most of Central Europe brought a period of decline though no major damages to the town's buildings were caused. However what the war was unable to do was done suddenly by a massive fire which burnt out more than half the buildings in the city in July 1641. To make matters worse for the city and its inhabitants, an earthquake and a flood produced more damages to the remaining public buildings and private residences.

Although most of the city was destroyed, the inhabitants never looked back and soon started on a major reconstruction and renovation programme which extended over several decades. A new Baroque Town Hall which you can still admire was built in 1731; Samson's fountain which still occupies the central position on the main square was built in 1727 and many public buildings and private houses were reconstructed or given a Baroque facelift. In a matter of 30 years, Ceske Budejovice was once again undergoing a period of economic prosperity and cultural upheaval. This was pushed forward when Empress Maria Theresa of Austria made Ceske Budejovice the seat of a newly created region. A Latin grammar school and a town theatre were built during this period. When in 1785 Ceske Budejovice was given the status of a bishopric, a seminary and an institute of philosophy were established.

The greatest time of economic prosperity however arrived with the construction of the horse carriage railway in 1824. Designed by Gerstner (a street in Ceske Budejovice is named F.A. Gerstnera) and operating for the first time in 1832, this first large railway on the European continent linked Ceske Budejovice with Linz in Austria. Since transport between the two towns was made easier with the opening of the railway, industry started to be attracted towards Ceske Budejovice. Vojtech Lanna, a local businessman took the opportunity to open the first export oriented company followed in 1847 by the Viennese firm Hardtmuth which produced pencils and ceramics. In 1895, the Czech brewery of Budvar started producing beer of first-class quality and soon the fame of the town spread to many countries all over the world.

Today the outskirts of Ceske Budejovice are still a prime industrial area producing more than one brand name of beer, high quality Koh-i-Noor pencils, ceramics and textiles. The inner historical town is being reorganised to attract more tourists who are obviously a new source of income for the hard-striving population. Manufacturing industry on the one hand and tourism on the other will for the second time make Ceske Budejovice the rich town of South Bohemia.