Sights and Tourist Attractions
Strongholds, castles, fortresses, and ruins
As an administrative province, South Bohemia has one of the highest numbers of historical monuments. The Rožmberk, Schwarzenberg, and other noble families all left an enormous heritage here, the beauty of which refines us, its dramatic history hearkening for wisdom. The thirteen most important monuments, including the renowned castles of Hluboká nad Vltavou, Český Krumlov, Jindřichův Hradec and others, are managed by the Czech state and are among the most popular destinations. Hundreds of other monuments are in the hands and care of private owners, most of them being open to the public. The monuments are often the home of artists, and some of the castles tell mysterious stories after darkness settles, including that of Perchta of Rožmberk, historically known as the enchanted White Lady.
The historic monuments of South Bohemia today are the heritage left to us from our predecessors who built castles, fortresses, and monuments from the 12th century. The powerful Vítkovec family, who struggled with the royal Přemysl family for greater influence in South Bohemia, held out in the numerous strongholds that they built in two rows, creating a strong bulwark along the Austrian border. Most of these castles were built during the 13th century. The outer line, built along the border of Bohemia and Austria, includes the stronghold castles of Rožmberk, Landštejn, and Nové Hrady. The inner line tied into the two oldest Vítkovec strongholds, Jindřichův Hradec and Kardašova Řečice. These were supplemented by the stronghold castles of Český Krumlov, Třeboň, and Stráž nad Nežárkou.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, most structures were reconstructed in Renaissance style. The history of most of the territory of South Bohemia during this period is associated with the noble Rožmberk family. The originally early Gothic stronghold of Český Krumlov underwent a fundamental transformation at this time (the entire historical municipal reservation has been included onto the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List), reconstructed into a Renaissance castle by the ruling Rožmberks and modified into Baroque style by the Eggenbergs. The stronghold in Jindřichův Hradec was transformed into a squarrose Renaissance palace in the late 16th century with rich arcades and a decorative rondel. The stronghold at Hluboká was also reconstructed into a Renaissance castle in the late 16th century. The present appearance of the castle is the work of architects in the service of the Schwarzenbergs, a noble family who significantly influenced South Bohemia from the middle 17thth century. The castle, now known as Hluboká nad Vltavou, was reconstructed under their rule as inspired by the Tudor Gothic style, taking after the royal Windsor castle in England. Not far from Hluboká castle is a Baroque hunting lodge named Ohrada from the early 18th century, one of the few stylistically pure structures in South Bohemia. The Schwarzenbergs also had Orlík castle, standing high on the shore of the Orlík reservoir of the Vltava River, reconstructed into its present appearance. The Orlík branch of the Schwarzenberg family is responsible for the reconstruction of the Zvíkov stronghold castle in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, standing on the confluence of the Vltava and Otava Rivers, so that today's appearance of the castle is quite close to what it looked like centuries ago. until the early 20
The noble seat in Třeboň was fundamentally reconstructed at the beginning of the 17th century during the residence of the last of the Rožmberks, Petr Vok. The castle's Renaissance appearance from this time was never significantly altered afterwards.
Kratochvíle is an interesting architectural monument, originally serving as a summer residence and hunting lodge of the powerful magnate Vilém of Rožmberk. He undertook a thorough reconstruction of the manor, and upon its completion it was comparable only to the Hvězda summer manor in Prague. The castle of Červená Lhota is one of the more picturesque structures of South Bohemia, as a Renaissance castle set in a lake on the site of a former Medieval fortress.
The Medieval period saw the construction of around 100 strongholds and 400 fortresses on the territory of South Bohemia. Some of them perished without a trace over time, others were destroyed by wars and fires, and some were reconstructed into ostentatious castles. Nowadays, these pearls of history are a great attraction for the modern visitor.
Monuments of folk architecture
Folk architectural monuments are what give the final touch to the beauty of the South Bohemian landscape. In many places, the villages of South Bohemia have retained the character given them over the course of the 19th century. The skills of folk builders and artisans are now reflected in the stone houses that were built under the influence of the Baroque and Empirical styles, and this architectural style is now commonly referred to as South Bohemian Rustic Baroque. A typical structure of this style is a massive rustic farmhouse with two richly decorated gables flanking an arched gateway with a small door. Monuments of Rustic Baroque can be found throughout all of South Bohemia. In the town of Záluží near Soběslav, there is even a small outdoor museum displaying folk architecture. Monuments of folk architecture, mostly associated with the name of the builder Jakub Bursa, can also be found in the Prachatice area. Buildings characterized by richly decorated gables and with a dominant Rustic Baroque character can be seen, for example, in Libotyně, Radhostice, Kovanín, Bušanovice and Dolní Nakvasovice. The town of Volary bears a completely different character of folk architecture – these are wooden log houses in Alpine style with a characteristic mild slope to the roof and a layout that corresponded to the needs of the farm life and work. Many Rustic Baroque buildings, Alpine style log houses, and countryside agricultural buildings (like hay barns) are now cultural monuments protected by the state.
Veselsko – Soběslavská Blata
This is a marshland area that includes the villages between Bechyně and Soběslav. There were two stone-mason families active in this area, and surface decorations are the primary characteristic of this local type of folk architecture. The walls of the houses, particularly the granaries, display motifs of vaulted cornices, quatrefoils, flowers, hearts, and circles.
Hlubocká Blata
This is the area between Hluboká nad Vltavou, Vodňany, and Netolice. This area's architecture typically bears richly incised gable shapes as well as very complex convoluted and plastic volutes, stylized branches, and ornaments. The most well-known village where houses of this sort may be found is Holašovice, not far from Netolice and České Budějovice. Holašovice lies in the foothills of the Blanský Forest, 15 kilometers west of České Budějovice. The village was founded in the middle 13th century, and its architectural development was completed in the latter half of the 19th century. Nowadays the settlement contains a total of 22 stone farmhouses encircling an extraordinarily vast rectangular village green (210 by 70 meters). The Medieval system of distinguishing residential and agricultural buildings has been almost completely preserved here, the buildings connected by pillar walls with gates and vaulted entryways. This, together with the preserved stucco decor on most of the facades, creates an irreplaceable atmosphere. A historical smithery is also part of the protected cultural monument ensemble, as is a Baroque chapel from 1744, a pub, and of course all the buildings. The village of Holašovice was included onto the UNESCO International Cultural Heritage Registry in 1999.
Volyně circle
This is the region around the small town of Volyně. The architecture characteristic of this area stands out for its high relief, often using figural decorations, bulbous pillars, and expressive pilasters. This is the area where one of the best-known stone workers and authors of folk architecture worked, Jakub Bursa (1813-1884). This distinctive builder primarily focused on gable decorations, which he considered the pinnacle of the entire structure. He applied various types of plastic motifs, oftentimes using them to symbolize his clients' professions (like a tavern owner or blacksmith), very often using various inscriptions. It's also interesting to note that he even signed several of his buildings, something which significantly increased his renown.
Šumava and the surrounding foothills
In the Prachatice area, Rustic Baroque buildings from Jakub Bursa are mostly concentrated around Vlachovo Březí, Vitějovice, Hracholusky, and Netolice. Historically, however, the wooden houses here are older. A characteristic of South Bohemian folk architecture is an overlap of two basic types of folk houses, a wooden log house and a walled house. The basic mark of this style is a log house from unhewn stones, a massive wide gable often interrupted by a gallery, and a relatively flat roof mostly covered by shingles. This is the type of structure that mostly appears around the Vimperk area – in the villages of Zdíkov, Lažiště, Masákova Lhota, Stachy, and so on. In Volary and its immediate surroundings, we find a completely unique type of log architecture in Bohemia. This is a pure Alpine-type house which seems to be a foreign element in the Šumava area. It was brought here by Germanic colonists and is generally considered to be specifically Alpine area architecture.
Technical and natural attractions
Southern Bohemia is an example of how humans may live in harmony with the landscape and add to its natural beauty with their creative activities. There are many technical gems here for which it seems clear that a humility before the powers of nature stood at their formation. It is with the same type of respect that one feels before the Devil's Wall, for example, a master work by the natural forces of Šumava, that one also may look at the many bridges, lookout towers, and man-made lakes. Another unique feature are the remains of the horse-drawn railway, the oldest railway line on the European continent, joining South Bohemia with Austria. The harmony between technology and nature can also be seen in the train riding along the narrow-gauge railway through the picturesque Bohemian countryside, or in the Schwarzenberg navigational canal during a demonstration of historical wood navigation. The first continuous navigation of logs took place here in 1791, with the last one being in 1962. The last time was in 1962. Nowadays there is a demonstration wood navigational float along the section from Jeleni - Jezova, happening every year during the summer season, since 1998. In Dačice there is a memorial to the first sugar cube to come into the world, manufactured here in 1843. The Horse-drawn Railway Museum in České Budějovice reminds us of the operation of the first continental railway from Linz to České Budějovice (launched in 1873). As for water works, the Třeboň man-made lake system is well worth mention, as is the man-made Golden Canal, and the reservoir lakes of Lipno and Orlík. There is much more worth mention, however, among the vast number of South Bohemia curiosities...
The České Budějovice – Linz horse-drawn railway
The oldest railway line on the European continent, connecting České Budějovice and Linz, was built in 1825-1832 mostly for the purposes of transporting salt from the Upper Austrian Salt Chambers to Bohemia. It was the culmination of many years of efforts to connect the watersheds of the Vltava and Danube Rivers. In 1808, Dr. František Josef Gerstner, later the director of the Royal Czech Estates Technical College, proposed an unusual method of transport instead of the originally planned water canal – a railway line. The project was finally realized in 1824, when Empirical privilegium was granted to the construction. This was a new method of transport, unknown to the European continent at the time but already in use in England. At first, the new route was prepared with compressed clay and gravel, upon which were placed the sleepers – wooden beams bound from above with malleable iron. The beams were transversely countersunk. The entire route stretched along roughly 129 kilometers, and horses provided the primary drawing power. The transport of goods along the entire route was ceremonially launched on 1 August 1832. In 1836 another section was put into operation from Linz to Gmunden, and passenger transport was also put into operation. The passenger train left the station from České Budějovice at 5 o'clock in the morning and arrived into Upper Austria's Linz at 7 o'clock in the evening.In the 1860's, the steam locomotive made the horse-drawn railway obsolete, so the line began the transformation to steam operation. The last train drawn by a horse set off on 15 December 1872. The remaining sections of rail in Czech territory were declared a national cultural monument in 1971.
Several important monuments of the horse-drawn railway have still been preserved today. One of the most important gate-keepers' house is in České Budějovice, on Mánesova ulice No. 1, which used to be part of the freight station complex. It was built in 1828. The house with two rooms and a kitchen was designated for those watching over the railway and the station. At present, there is an exhibition installed here devoted to the horse-drawn railway in the city of České Budějovice. In addition to written documentation, period photography, and drawings, visitors can also watch a video-film mapping out its construction and especially the preserved monuments. The exhibition is supplemented with two models of passenger and freight cars. Aside from this museum, the city still contains several other buildings directly associated with the horse-drawn railway. In the originally wayside inn U Zelené Ratolesti, now found on Husova Třída, there were accommodations for the coachman, stables, and a shed for the cars. This was the northernmost point of the entire railway. The “Nissel House” formed the corner of Česká and Piaristická Streets. This was the location of the box office for passenger transport and railway administration. The opposite corner was where the entrance platform was located. This is where the railway officially started in 1827, while the extension to the inn served only for railway service purposes. The last important monument of the horse-drawn railway in České Budějovice is the Salt Storehouse on Česká (formerly Solní, or Salt) Street, which served for storing salt brought in by the railway from the Salzburg area. The building has not been preserved in its original condition, a large part of it having been demolished in 1901. The building now houses a gallery.
On the route of the horse-drawn railway itself, about 35 kilometers from České Budějovice, lies the village of Bujanov where one of five transfer stations was located. In addition to residential buildings, there were stables here as well as blacksmith and wheelwright workshops and the essential supply of oats. A period model of the entire station, part of the preserved tracks, and a number of manuscripts and photographs are available for viewing in the local museum. The building of the station itself, recently reconstructed, now serves as a schoolhouse.
The most important stop along the trail of the horse-drawn railway is undoubtedly the station and museum in Kerschbaum. About 7 kilometers north of Freistadt in the midst of the picturesque nature of Upper Austria, about 15 kilometers from the Czech border, you can go back 125 years in time and take a ride on a horse-drawn railway. As of yet, about 500 meters of historical railway have been reconstructed as well as two passenger cars. The museum exhibition itself brings the visitor closer to the history of the technology of the horse-drawn railway as well as the life and work of the first “railwaymen”. Kirschbauum is also the seat of the first European railway restaurant, and is still in operation as a restaurant today.
In addition to these monuments, you can find many other memorials to this unique technical monument along the entire railway route. Guard houses, embankments, bridges, and bridge pillars scattered throughout the landscape breathe the nostalgia of times long past.
The Jindřichův Hradec narrow-gauge railways
The narrow-gauge railways in South Bohemia are a unique technical monument documenting the development of railway transport in the Czech Republic. Their construction is the credit of certain towns (Nová Bystřice, Jindřichův Hradec, Kamenice nad Lipou etc.) and local entrepreneurs, factory owners, and landowners. This is the route from Jindřichův Hradec to Nová Bystřice, measuring nearly 33 kilometers, opened 1 November 1897, and now serving for recreational and freight transport. The second route is the northern route from Jindřichův Hradec to Obrataň, put into operation on Christmas day of 1906, now an important means of transportation to the region. Both these routes pass through a romantic landscape area of the Czech Republic as well as the Czech-Moravian Highlands.
The narrow-gauge railway, with a total length of 79 kilometers, has a rail width of only 760 mm in contrast to the standard width of 1435 mm. Even though this is considered an important technical monument documenting the evolution of railway transport in the Czech Republic, both routes today serve their original functions, and passenger and freight trains regularly run along their tracks throughout the year. Each year in the summertime, nostalgic rides are held with historical cars and steam locomotives. It's interesting to note the use of classic Edmondson cardboard tickets. These are produced by a printing house located at the train station in Kamenice nad Lipou. The tickets produced here are then shipped to other customers in the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, and other countries.
The Elinka electrified railway
On certain dates in the summer season, you can get from Tábor to Bechyně by train. The first Czech electrified train was put into operation in 1903, stretching along 24 kilometers on the design by František Křižík. The railway celebrated its 100th birthday in 2003 and is still in operation today.
The man-made fishpond system
South Bohemia would not be what it is today without its fishponds. The vast areas of water, alternating forests and meadows, narrow paths along the levees, the countless birds on the water surface and shorelines, the majestic oaks – all of this forms the special and distinctive atmosphere of the South Bohemian landscape. The formation of the first fishponds in South Bohemia are probably associated with the reign of Charles IV around the middle 14th century. The fishponds of South Bohemia as we know them now, however, were essentially built in the 16th century, mostly thanks to the wealthy Rožmberk family and their builders Štěpánek Netolický and Jakub Krčín of Jelčany. These men became renowned especially for the construction of man-made lakes and ponds in the Třeboň area. There used to be a vast number of fishponds in South Bohemia, but many of them became extinct in later years.
In the České Budějovice basin of the Vltava River watershed, there is a distinct České Budějovice-Hluboká fishpond system with the largest pond named Bezdrev, built at the end of the 15th century. The most popular of the rest of the ponds of this group is the Munický Pond near Hluboká nad Vltavou and the Ohrada hunting lodge.
There is another fishpond group in South Bohemia, spread out along the Protivín-Vodňany area, lying in the watershed of the Blanice River, with its renowned Tálínský Pond.
In the northern part of the Třeboň basin, the well-known ponds are the Horusický and Bošilecký. The area with the largest and highest number of ponds, however, is Třeboň. The Třeboň area, in comparison to the other parts of the South Bohemia region, has the largest water surface area. The great works of Štěpánek Netolický include primarily the 45 kilometer long Golden Canal which drained the swamp areas and connected certain already existing water works. Jakub Krčín is responsible for the formation of an entire ensemble of South Bohemian fishponds from his first Počátek (Beginning), to Svět (World), up to his largest, the Rožmberk. The 13.5 kilometer long canal is also admirable, named Nová Řeka (New River), which Krčín used to drain part of the water from the Lužnice to Nežárka, thus protecting the Třeboň area from floods.
The Golden Canal
This supply and feeding canal for the fishpond system of the Třeboň basin in the Jindřichův Hradec area was built in 1506-1520 by the renowned fishpond architect Štěpánek Netolický. The canal is 47 kilometers long, 2 to 4 meters wide, and 1 to 1.5 meters deep. In places, it runs between the pond levees at normal ground level. In addition to supplying the fishponds, it also served to drain swamplands and capture floodwaters that used to cause considerable damage.
The Schwarzenberg Navigational Canal
This navigational canal in the Prachatice area enabled the transport of wood from the less accessible areas of the Šumava forests to Vienna and was built at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. It carries water from the slopes of the Třístoličník, Plechý, and Smrčina mountain slopes from the Vltava River basin, across the European watershed in Grosse Mühl, to the Danube. Regular transports to Austria ended in 1891, then definitively in 1932. The canal is 45 kilometers long and required the construction of a 430-meter tunnel through Plešivec Mountain. The water supply for the canal, walled and supported with stone slabs, was secured by a reservoir at its beginning point, Plešné Lake with its modified outflow and a number of races. Nowadays the forest trail alongside the canal is popular with hikers and bicyclists.
Podolský Bridge
This is a road bridge that spans the Orlík water reservoir near the village of Podolsko,
2 kilometers south of Červená, on the road between Písek and Tábor. This impressive iron and concrete three-arched bridge is 510 meters long and 58 meters high and was built in 1938-1940 on the design of Ing. V. Janák. The bridge has received many awards, including the designation Beautiful Bridge of Europe, already in 1937 before it was even completed. Originally a chain bridge was in its place, which was disassembled in 1960 and re-located to the village of Stádlec.
Stádlecký Bridge
This valuable technical monument is an Empirical chain bridge across the Lužnice River about 3 kilometers from the village of Stádlec. The bridge was originally built on the road from Tábor to Písek across the Vltava River Valley near Podolsko. The construction of the Orlík reservoir put it in danger, however, so in 1960 it was disassembled and placed in its present position across the Lužnice River in 1970-1975. The bridge is 157 meters long, and the steel construction bearing the wooden bridge flooring is captured in walled pillars made of granite blocks.
Žďákovský Bridge
This bridge was named after the nearby settlement which was submerged with the creation of the Orlík Reservoir. It connects the bank of the Vltava at Orlík nad Vltavou about
15 kilometers west of Milevsko. Construction on the bridge began at the same time as the reservoir, in 1957, and lasted until 1967. It is 540 meters long, the main span is 330 meters long and supports the roadway above which runs from Tábor to Plzeň. It is 50 meters above the lake surface and 100 meters above the former riverbed. These parameters make Žďákovský Bridge one of the largest of its type in the world. All the same the entire bridge construction gives the impression of an extraordinarily light structure.
Bechyňský Bridge
Also known as the Bechyňská Rainbow, this was built based on the project of Eduard Viktora and was finished on the 10th anniversary of the Republic on 28 October 1928. At the time, it was the highest iron and concrete arch in Czechoslovakia. It is 50 meters above the river surface, spans 90 meters, and is 203.38 meters long.
Buškův Hammer Mill
The Buškův Hammer Mill is a functional technical monument from the 18th century. This is a blacksmithery powered by water, a museum of hammer-mill technology where visitors can see the drop hammer, the forge with bellows and the grinder, powered by three water mill-wheels. Part of the exhibition is a unique collection of tools that hammer-mill workers used that you won't see in any technical museum. The residential section features a collection of folk furniture from the Doudlebský area with examples of ceramics, underpaintings on glass, etc.
The Záluží blacksmithery
This blacksmithery from 1899 is an example of Rustic Baroque style. It includes a marionette workshop, and in addition to the classic blacksmith equipment, there is also an exhibition of marionettes, puppets, and nativity scenes. The blacksmithery forms a harmonious unit with the other houses, now having been declared a village historical reservation.
Písek Municipal Electric Power Plant
The municipal power plant was built in 1888 to power electrical lighting that Písek had established a year earlier by the inventor and entrepreneur Ing. František Křižík. Electricity was powered by a water mill-wheel at first, later to be replaced by Francis turbines. The plant was reconstructed after a long pause and has been producing electricity now since 1994.
Religious Monuments and Shrines
Religious monuments are among the most important legacies our predecessors left us, their traditions reaching back to the earliest times. In the past, it was mostly monasteries that were the most important centers, and for a long time they were the only center of education and culture. The most influential of such monuments in South Bohemia were the Gothic Cistercian monastery in Zlatá Koruna and in Vyšší Brod, as well as the oldest monastery in South Bohemia – the Romanesque Premonstrate Monastery in Milevsko. Religious buildings were founded together with royal towns, such as the Dominican Monastery with its church in České Budějovice, the churches in Písek, Tábor, and elsewhere. Many unique religious buildings have been preserved from the reign of the Rožmberks – The Augustinian Monastery in Třeboň, the churches in Český Krumlov, Jindřichův Hradec, and in many other places. Fires and wars were often the impetus for frequent reconstructions and modifications, particularly in the Baroque period.
The Baroque period has also left us with complexes of the most important shrines in South Bohemia as well – Římov, Klokoty, Dobrá Voda near Nové Hrady and Dobrá Voda near České Budějovice, Trhové Sviny, Rychnov nad Malší, Lomec, Klášter near Nová Bystřice, and Sepekov near Milevsko. Shrines have always emerged in places where legend held that a certain miracle or revelation occurred, the discovery of a healing spring, or the heeding of the pleas of believers, most often through the facilitation of the Virgin Mary. This is the reason that hundreds of crosses, chapels, and spectacular churches have been erected in her honour. Marian pilgrimages are also the most common.
The first sacred structures in South Bohemia were evidently built in the early 11th century. The construction of the Chapel of the Holy Guardian Angels in Zlatá Koruna is an expression of the effort to systematically spread out monastery buildings in the Early Gothic period. To this list we can also add the sacristy of the convent temple of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Vyšší Brod.
The architectural activity of the Cistercians continued throughout the entire 13th and 14th centuries and reached its pinnacle with the completion of the central three-aisled basilica in Zlatá Koruna and the monastery with church in Vyšší Brod. The Dominicans contributed to the specific characteristic of South Bohemian Gothic with their construction of a monastery in České Budějovice, during which they used unique decorative motifs. The religious architecture in South Bohemia was influenced by Prague's Parler movement, which played a significant role in the construction of the St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle. These Prague elements appeared in the activities of the Augustinians during the construction of the monasteries in Třeboň and Borovany.
One interesting religious monument in particular is the originally Premonstrate monastery in Milevsko, founded at the end of the 12th century, where many relatively vast and well-preserved elements from the Romanesque period can be found, despite several later reconstructions. The pinnacle of Late Gothic art are the smaller Franciscan structures in Český Krumlov, Bechyně, and Jindřichův Hradec.
The Renaissance period did not have a substantial effect on ecclesiastical building activities. It was finally in the context of extensive plans for the recatholization of the Bohemian lands that religious buildings received a new Baroque character. The churches in Dobrá Voda near České Budějovice and in Dobrá Voda near Nové Hrady are a classic example of pure Baroque architecture. An example of folk creativity during the Baroque are the churches with richly decorated ambits in Římov, Tábor – Klokoty, and in Svatá Trojice in Trhové Sviny.
In the late 19th century, architecture made rich use of historicizing elements. This is how, for example, the church in Hosín near České Budějovice was reconstructed into Neo-Romanesque style, and the Neo-Gothic Schwarzenberg tomb was built in Třeboň.
Among all these religious structures, one must not forget the castle in Strakonice which was built together with the monastery in the early 13th century. From the beginning of the 15th century, the Order of Johannites ruled over the entire castle and adjacent dominion. The present appearance of the castle is due to the numerous reconstructions carried out during their reign. In the articulated landscape between Netolice and Vodňany, on a wooded hill, the magnificent shrine of Lomec is hidden with the Church of the Name of the Virgin Mary. Within the scope of Czech Baroque architecture, this is an extraordinarily valuable work, within the České Budějovice diocese it is one of the liveliest and continually pulsing shrine locations.
The Gold Route
One of the most important trade routes in central Europe during the Medieval period was the Gold Route. This route connected the Danube River basin with the Bohemian lands. The main commercial item that made it famous even today was not actual gold, but salt brought over from the Alpine salt reservoirs. The system of the Gold Route gradually developed over the centuries. In its final form, it had three main branches: Prachatice, Vimperk, and Kašperské Hory. The starting point for these three branches was the royal Bavarian city of Passau, while even before reaching the Czech border the route branched off into different directions into Bohemia. In the other direction, Passau received mostly grains, malt, hops, wool, leather, beer, and cattle. The Gold Route was not a single line, but its course was marked with various divergences, branches, shortcuts, intersections, and adjacent routes. Its formation and use was largely dependent on the terrain, weather, and the amount of traffic. Nowadays, Prachatice celebrates the Gold Salt Route Festival every year on the last weekend in June. Prachatice's partner town in Bavaria, the small town of Grainet, also celebrates a similar festival in the latter half of July.
Jewish monuments
The oldest evidence of Jewish settlement in South Bohemia comes from the 13th century in Jindřichův Hradec, while in the 14th century Jews probably lived in Rožmberk nad Vltavou and definitely lived in České Budějovice. The life of Jewish people in the Middle Ages was limited by many royal, seigniorial, and church forbiddances and directives, and Jewish quarters (ghettos) began to form. Malice among the townspeople towards Jews was not uncommon. It wasn't until the middle 19th century that Jews were granted full civic equality with the abolition of all discriminative measures. This legal act was followed by Jewish citizens fundamentally contributing to the economic, social, and cultural development of the region. From South Bohemia, we have for example Alois Zucker, an attorney and one of the founders of the Czech-Jewish movement, also the poet and prosaist Richard Weiner, the prosaist Norbert Frýd, the Radok brothers (Alfred Radok – successful director, Emil Radok - scenarist for Laterna Magica), conductor Karel Ančerl, and more. The Jewish community reached its greatest number of members at the end of the 19th century. The Nazi occupation brought about the extinction of nearly all Jewish communities; 90 percent of the Jewish population was killed, many Jewish monuments were destroyed (for example the Neo-Gothic synagogue from 1888 in České Budějovice and both cemeteries in Tábor). Destruction of Jewish monuments in South Bohemia continued during the post-war years as well; after 1945 there were many synagogues demolished, for example in Koloděje nad Lužnicí, Strakonice, and Tábor. Today, there is no Jewish community active in South Bohemia. Jewish monuments have survived up to the present throughout South Bohemia in various conditions, now serving various functions.
Museums and galleries
For as long as history has been with us, the romantic atmosphere of South Bohemia has inspired artists who come to create or relax. The picturesque landscape provides a constant challenge for painters, the contemplative spirit of the land draws poets, the forests attract woodcutters, and the unsettled history with its many distinct characters call out for another literary or film adaptation. Works of art fill the museums and galleries, dozens of them throughout the region, and visitors come to them to satisfy their curious wanderings. Works exist here from the oldest periods, documenting the evolution of the countryside with its folk crafts and customs, but also highly renowned modern collections proving that South Bohemia still remains an active theme for artists.
Natural attractions
The area's largest protected natural territory is Šumava, on one hand registered as a protected landscape area, on the other (the inner area) as a national park. It is part of the cross-border biospheric reservation of Šumava - Böhmerwald. The Třeboň area is another important biospheric reservation. Lesser known, but none less beautiful, are the Novohradské Hory (Nové Hrady Mountains) Natural Park and the Blanský Forest Protected Landscape Area.
The Šumava National Park and Protected Landscape Area
In 1963, Šumava was declared a protected landscape area, and in 1991 the Czech government declared it a national park. In 1990 it became a UNESCO biospheric reservation. The national park includes the naturally most valuable areas of Šumava, while its perimeter is surrounded by a protected landscape area of the same name. The Šumava National Park represents a tectonically risen levelled mountain range with peaked and hilly relief with vast plains at altitudes up to around 1000 meters ASL. It holds remnants of glacier basins, glacier lakes, and stone and granite outcroppings that resulted from glaciation. The national park is one of the most extensive forestlands in central Europe and even though most of the forest growth is secondary, it is approaching the condition of a natural forest composition. Šumava is the headwater area for the longest Czech River, the Vltava (Moldau).
The natural attractions include, among others: Borová Heath, Buková Bog, Jelení Hill, Jezerní Meadow, Obří Castle, the Vltava source, Spálený Meadow, Tetřevská Bog, Trojmezná Mountain, Vltavský Meadow, Žďárecká Bog, Bílá Ravine, Boubínský Ancient Forest, Černé and Čertovo Lakes, Házlův Cross, Svatý Tomáš, Velké Marsh, Hamižná, Nebe and Zátoňská Mountain. Information on these and other locations can be found at the information centers of the Šumava National Park and Protected Landscape Area administration.
The Třeboň Biosphere Reservation
The Třeboň Biosphere Reservation was declared a UNESCO monument in 1977. The Třeboň area is an internationally acknowledged territory in ornithological terms (Important Bird Area as per ICB, at present Bird Life International). The indistinct landscape relief of the Třeboň area has a tectonic character, very flat lowlands with stepped perimeters, particularly in the southern parts. Occurrence of aeolian sand has been proven in several places. The construction of a vast fishpond network, begun in the 16th century, was imposed upon the formerly relatively monotone swampland and gave it its present diversity that has no comparison in the Bohemian lands. This diversity even further underscores the harmonic reciprocation between water and agricultural areas with typical settlements and forest growth.
The natural attractions of this area include Vizír, Červené Marsh, Ruda, Stará River, Hliníř, Kozí Knoll, Slepičí Knoll, Bukové Hill, the Lužnice meanders, Horusická blata, the sand dunes at Vlkov, the Hovízna peatbogs, the Pelé peatbogs, Rožmberk wetlands, and Záblatské meadows.
