Ceske Budejovice is a beautiful city known locally as České Budějovice, rich history and culture characterize it in the heart of the South Bohemian Region in the Czech Republic. It is worth starting your visit to Ceske Budejovice from the beautiful old town, dominated by an impressive market square surrounded by stunning buildings in the Baroque and Renaissance style. The central point of the square is the black tower, from which there is a picturesque view of the entire city. There is also a historic town hall and the Samson Fountain nearby, adding charm to the entire surroundings. This City is on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.
Market Square
The center of Ceske Budejovice is the pride of the city – the square market square is named after Przemysław Otokar II. It is one of the largest markets in Europe and has an area of exactly one hectare. Here you will find the wonderful Samson Fountain and the charming town hall.
Budějovický Budvar
The Budějovický Budvar brewery was founded in 1895. The most important and best-known beer from the brewery’s offer is the light lager Budweiser Budvar, which is exported to more than 70 countries. Budějovický Budvar accounts for about one quarter of Czech beer exports. The brewery continues the tradition of brewing original Budějovice beer, which is 750 years old and uses best practices and exclusively original raw materials. Thanks to this, Budějovické beer can be proud of the Protected Geographical Indication.
You can learn about the production of original Budějovice beer in detail during a tour of the brewery’s production facilities.
Black Tower
Black Tower (Černá věž) is a well-known 16th century tower. It is situated near the north-east corner of Přemysl Otakar II Square, next to the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, and is a favorite sight. The tower has seven bells. It is the tallest building in the old town of Ceske Budejovice. To this day, the tower serves two functions: an observation tower and a bell tower. There are 225 steps to the top of the tower.
Samson Fountain
Fountain was constructed in 1721-1726 to supply the town with the water from the river Vltava. Nowadays it is just for decorative purposes but still pours out a lot of water. The original baroque sculptures that decorated the fountain were moved to the town hall and replaced with copies. At the top there is the biblical Samson on a lion.
St. Cathedral Nicholas
St. Cathedral Nicholas in Ceske Budejovice – the first church in the north-eastern corner of the square was built in the 13th century. The current temple acquired its baroque form after the last reconstruction in 1641–1649. During the Thirty Years’ War, the chapel housed the royal archives and Czech coronation insignia. Inside, the cream, beige and blue vault attracts attention. Behind the presbytery – outside the cathedral – there is a small Uniate chapel from the first half of the 18th century, with frescoes from 1785.
Horse Railway Museum in Ceske Budejovice
A railway line for horse-drawn cars was built between České Budějovice and Linz in 1825-1832. It was extended to Gmunden, Austria, in 1836. At the time, this horse-drawn railway was the longest railway line on the European continent.
The most important preserved historic relics of this railway in Bohemia include guard house no. 1 built in 1828 and located in Mánesova Street. The exhibition introduces the history of the railway line, the hard life of the railway workers, and the present situation of the guard houses.
