Happy TravellerWelcome to České Budějovice, a beautiful city located in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. With a population of around 93,000, České Budějovice is the largest city in the region and serves as its political and commercial capital. The city is situated in the valley of the Vltava River, at its confluence with the Malše, and is famous for the Budweiser Budvar Brewery. In this article, we will explore the history, culture, and attractions of České Budějovice, and why it should be on every traveler’s itinerary.
České Budějovice has a rich history that dates back to the 13th century. The city was founded in 1265 by King Ottokar II of Bohemia and was created as a platform of the king’s power in South Bohemia. The German-speaking settlers were coming from the Bohemian Forest and Upper Austria. The royal city was created to counterbalance the powerful noble House of Rosenberg, which became extinct in 1611. Since the Hussite Wars, the city was traditionally a bulwark of the Catholic Church during the long-lasting religious conflicts in the Kingdom of Bohemia.
The historic city center of České Budějovice is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation. The old town preserves interesting architecture from the Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and 19th century periods. This includes buildings around the large Přemysl Otakar II. Square, the old city hall with murals and bronze gargoyles, and the 16th century Black Tower (Černá věž). The most valuable historic building in České Budějovice is the Dominican convent with the Gothic Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the 13th century. The Iron Maiden Tower and the Rabenštejn Tower are a 14th-century former prisons and one of the few remainings of the Old Towns Gothic fortifications. The Museum of South Bohemia dates to 1877 and holds a large collection of historic books, coins, weapons and other articles.
One of the major settings in the novel The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek is České Budějovice. The city is also the setting and was the working title for the play The Misunderstanding by Albert Camus.
České Budějovice is the economic center of the entire South Bohemian Region and the seat of many large corporations. The largest employers with its headquarters in České Budějovice and at least 1,000 employers are beer brewing companies. Budějovice has long been well known for the beer brewed there since the 13th century. The largest brewery, founded in 1895, is Budweiser Budvar Brewery which has legal rights to market its beer under the Budweiser brand name in much of Europe. The same product is also sold elsewhere under the names Budvar and Czechvar due to legal disagreements with Anheuser-Busch over the Budweiser brand and Anheuser-Busch sells its beer as Bud in most of the European Union.
České Budějovice is located about 120 kilometers (75 mi) south of Prague. The city lies in the České Budějovice Basin, a small eastern part extends into the Třeboň Basin. The city spread mostly across a plain making it nearly flat in the inner parts with hillier areas in the eastern suburbs. The highest point lies at about 560 meters (1,840 ft) above sea level. České Budějovice is situated in the valley of the Vltava River, at its confluence with the Malše. A set of large fish ponds is located in the northwestern part of the municipal territory. The largest pond is Novohaklovský with an area of 47.2 hectares (117 acres). Several of the ponds lies within the Vrbenské rybníky nature reserve.
České Budějovice is made up of seven city parts named České Budějovice 1–7. České Budějovice 5 forms an exclave of the municipal territory. The name Budějovice is derived from personal Slavic name Budivoj, meaning the village of the Budivojs people. The name
