South Bohemia

Before you set off for South Bohemia, it may be a good idea to take a look at the map. In the south of the country you’ll find everything that you might expect for a great holiday (not to mention a few surprises), but in between these places you may find yourself making some quite lengthy journeys. South Bohemia is, you see, quite a big place, and you’ll need to choose carefully from the countless attractions on offer.

For summer holidays by the water, combined with sightseeing in historical places, head for the River Otava or Vltava, especially around České Budějovice, or the Orlická Reservoir where you’ll find Orlík and Zvíkov castles. The River Lužnice has some incredible places of natural beauty, the Třeboň Lakes are great for walking and the so-called Czech Siberia to the north ofTábor is a truly magical place. Then there are the Novohradské Hills, gravel lakes around Veselí nad Lužnicí where you’ll also find the well known ‘South Bohemian desert’, the sand dunes near Vlkov, the tranquil Písek District or the Tábor District famous for its Hussite past. And remember that nowhere else than in South Bohemia will a trip around the world (as in Lake Svět, Svět meaning ‘world‘) take you more than just a couple of hours!

Chateau at Hluboká nad Vltavou – This is a neo-Gothic chateau boasting opulent interiors, amazing wood carving and priceless collections. There’s an armoury, a riding school housing the Aleš Gallery of South Bohemia and various exhibitions.

Český Krumlov – One of the most beautiful towns in the country listed by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site. The Renaissance centre with its narrow medieval lanes is dominated by a castle, where the highlights must be the theatre – the best preserved and oldest stage of the late Baroque era in all Europe – and the multi-storey Plášťový Bridge spanning the moat to the west of the castle complex.

Jindřichův Hradec narrow-gaugerailway – The first train travelled this 30km-long line to Nová Bystřice in the autumn of 1897; the 46km-long branch to Obrataň began operation in the winter of 1906. Services run on Bohemia’s last narrow-gauge railway year round and are pulled by steam locomotives during the holidays and on red letter days.

Slavonice – The town has a historical centre boasting many Renaissance townhouses, their facades richly decorated with various kinds of sgraffito. Four to seven metres below the town, a system of drainage tunnels has survived down the ages and is now open to the public.

Chýnovská Cave – The first cave in what is now the Czech Republic to be opened to the public (1868) differs from other such underground spaces in its ‘decoration’. Instead of dripstone we find coloured walls and ceilings where white, yellow and brown marble are interlayered with dark amphibolite. The quite demanding tour route drops 42m and involves climbing and descending around 400 steps.