Towns

The first mention of this town that is surrounded by ponds dates back to the 13^th century. Since 1365, a Czech name has been used – formerly it was referred to only as Wittingau (Vitek’s Mead). Třeboň was at the peak of its prosperity in the 16^th and early 17^th century under Vilém and Petr Vok of Rožmberk. After 1611, the Švamberks took the town over and finally, in 1660 the Třeboň estate fell to the Schwarzenbergs. In the 19^th century, a beat spa was established in Třeboň. The town has been designated a spa; it is an urban monument reservation area and the center of the Třeboňsko protected landscape area.

Practical tips:

The Třeboň Information and Culture Center

Masarykovo nám. 103,  379 01 Třeboň

+420 384 721 169, +420 724 064 504 , www.itrebon.cz, info@itrebon.cz

X.-IV. po-pá 9.00-17.00, V.a IX. po-so 9.00-17.00, VI.-VIII. po-so 9.00-18.00, ne 10.00-17.00 hod.

Recommended:

The Třeboň State Chateau

It is one of the largest castles in the Czech Republic, mentioned as early as 1374. The castle houses former Rožmberk archives and today it is administered by the Třeboň regional archives.

The House of Nature with the Třeboňsko exposition – The People and the Countryside

The historical basement of the castle’s Rožemberk wing houses a modernly designed exposition about the fish pond culture, its famous founders and their work.

Historic Masarykovo náměstí

Originally a market square with a Renaissance granite fountain (1569) and a Marian Column dating back to 1780, it is lined with town houses with Gothic and Renaissance cores and basements.

The Former Augustinian Monastery

This originally gothic monastery was founded in 1367. It has a well preserved cloister, a courtyard garden, the Chapel of St Vincent and the Gothic two-body Church of St Mary Queen and St Giles.

The J. K. Tyl Theater

This empire style theater was built in 1832 in a former malt house of the town brewery that later burned down.

Do not miss:

New Year’s Day Fireworks (January)

AniFilm, an international animated film festival (April)

Okolo Třeboně, a multi-genre music festival (June)

Třeboň Nocturnos, a traditional international classical music festival held in Třeboň (July)

Jakub Krčín’s Historical Festivities (July)

Lázeňská Třeboň, an entertaining presentation of Třeboň’s spas (August)

Fishing Festivities in Třeboň, a show and tribute to the pond culture and its traditions (August)

St Wenceslas Fair (September)

Advent and Christmas in Třeboň (December)

Make sure to visit other historic towns :

Blatná

The town lies in the north-west section of the South Bohemia Region. The first mention of Blatná dates back to 1235 when the settlement was owned by the Bavors of Strakonice. In the 15^th and the early 16^th centuries, the Blatná castle was the center of the Lords’ of Rožmitál dominion. In 1601, it was promoted to a town by Emperor Rudolph II. The town is set in a landscape amongst moderate granite hills and beautiful ponds. Its name is derived from marshland (in Czech “blata”) that used to surround it. The historic center is an urban monument zone.

Information Center

Tř.J.P.Koubka 4 , 388 01 Blatná

+420 383 323 100, www.ciao.cz,  infocentrum@mesto-blatna.cz

The Blatná Castle

The Blatná Castle is surrounded by a moat and was originally founded as a castle on marshes. Its first written mention dates back to 1235. The adjacent settlement was named after the castle. The oldest preserved section of the castle is a Romanesque chapel (1220).

The Blatná Municipal Museum

The museum was founded in 1922 together with the District Museum Association. In 1974, the Town of Blatná Monument was set up and administered by the Museum of Central Pootaví in Strakonice.

Soběslav

The town of Soběslav lies on the confluence of the Lužnice River and the Černovický potok amidst the scenic south Bohemia landscape. For 300 years, the town was associated with the Rožmberk family. Soběslav is an attractive place with numerous cultural monuments and is the natural center of the area. Bike routes invite you to take family trips to picturesque villages featuring rustic Baroque architecture, beautiful nature, vast forests, lakes, peat-bogs and many cultural and natural places of interest.

The Information Center

Náměstí Republiky 1/1 , 392 01 Soběslav

+420 381 508 105 , www.musobeslav.cz, icko@musobeslav.cz , kocourkova@musobeslav.cz

Smrček’s House

It is the only preserved Renaissance house in Soběslav. Today it houses a folklore museum.

The Cemetery Church of St Marcus – It was founded in 1650 by Soběslav Mayor Zachariáš Marek Markovský. Today it houses the St Marcus Gallery.

České Budějovice

The town of České Budějovice was founded in the very heart of South Bohemia, on the confluence of the Vltava and Malše Rivers in 1265 by King Ottokar II of Bohemia. The ground plan was designed by the Zvíkov burgrave Hirzo. A regular square is connected to a regular network of streets.

The historic center of České Budějovice is a real gem with a number of precious religious and secular sites and Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque houses with well preserved arcades all around the square.

The Tourist Information Center

Náměstí Přemysla Otakara II. č. 2 , 370 92 České Budějovice

+420 386 801 413, www.cb-info.cz, infocb@c-budejovice.cz

The Black Tower is the dominating feature of the town and is hard to miss. Its construction in 1549-1577 was supposed to showcase the town’s economic prosperity to the surroundings and was also used as a bell tower and a keep since fires could be easily spotted from the gallery.

The Dominican Monastery with the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary

This is one of the oldest buildings in town. The Dominican Order was given this location right after the town was founded and resided here for more than 500 years.

Tábor

The town was originally a castle founded by King Ottokar II of Bohemia (its first mention dates back to 1368) and was built on a rocky foreland above the Lužnice River. It became famous thanks to Jan Žižka and the Hussites. The medieval fortification has been preserved and can be visited in the historic center. Other places of interest include the Hussite Museum, underground corridors, the Kotnov Castle with the Bechyně Gate and the Tábor Treasure Exposition in a former brewery. There is a botanical garden in the newer part of the town. The Jordan Reservoir and the Baroque church in Klokoty also come from the most famous period in the town’s history.

The Tábor Information Center

Žižkovo náměstí 2, 390 01 Tábor

+420 381 486 230, www.tabor.cz,  infocentrum@mutabor.cz

The Hussite Museum in Tábor

The Hussite Museum exposition is located in a late Gothic building of Tábor’s town hall. Exhibition halls will guide you through the origin of Hussitism, introduce Master Jan Hus, the foundation of Tábor (which means “camp” in Czech), the undefeated commander Jan Žižka from Trocnov and many others.

The Kotnov Castle

The dominating feature of the oldest preserved architectonic monument in Tábor is the Kotov Castle with its adjacent Bechyně Tower, part of the town’s original fortification.