Kašperské Hory (; german: Bergreichenstein) is a town in

Klatovy District Klatovy District ( cs, Okres Klatovy) is a district (''okres'') within Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is Klatovy. With its area of 1,946 km² it is the largest district in the Czech Republic. List of municipalities Běha ...

in the

Plzeň Region Plzeň Region ( cs, Plzeňský kraj; german: Pilsner Region) is an administrative unit (''kraj'') in the western part of Bohemia in the Czech Republic. It is named after its capital Plzeň (English, german: Pilsen). In terms of area, Plzeň R ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

. It has about 1,400 inhabitants. It is known as a ski resort. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.

Administrative parts

Villages of Červená, Dolní Dvorce, Kavrlík, Lídlovy Dvory, Opolenec, Podlesí, Tuškov and Žlíbek are administrative parts of Kašperské Hory.

Etymology

The Kašperk Castle that was built here by Charles IV was named after its founder Karlsberg ("Charles' Mountain" in German) and transcribed to Czech as Kašperk. The town was then named Kašperské Hory, meaning "Kašperk Mountains".

Geography

Kašperské Hory is located about southeast of

Klatovy Klatovy (; german: Klattau) is a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 22,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Administrative parts Klatovy is made up of 30 ...

and south of Plzeň. It lies on the border of the

Bohemian Forest Foothills Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Beer * National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst * Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, ori ...

and

Bohemian Forest The Bohemian Forest, known in Czech as Šumava () and in German as Böhmerwald, is a low mountain range in Central Europe. Geographically, the mountains extend from Plzeň Region and South Bohemia in the Czech Republic to Austria and Bavaria ...

mountain range. The highest point is a contour line on the slopes of the mountain Huťská hora at above sea level. The Otava River flows along the western municipal border. The territory is rich in small creeks.

History

Kašperské Hory existed already at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries as an extensive mining settlement near an important gold-bearing area. King John of Bohemia promoted the settlement to a mining town. The Kašperk Castle was built above the town by King Charles IV in 1356 to guard the border and protect the trade route and local gold mines. The castle also served as one of administrative centres of the

Prácheňsko Prácheňsko (german: Prachens; la, Provincia Prachinensis) is a historical and cultural region in the Czech Republic, covering roughly the Otava River basin, mostly in the northwest part of South Bohemia. It was an administrative region in southw ...

region. In 1584, the town became a royal town. Declining gold mining was gradually replaced by trade, glassmaking, woodworking, papermaking and cattle breeding. In the 19th century, Kašperské Hory was the natural regional centre as the seat of offices and schools. It had a German majority. After the end of the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

in 1945, the original German-speaking population was expelled according to the Potsdam agreement, and the town was repopulated with Czechs.

Demographics

Sport

The Kašperky ski area is located on Liščí vrch Hill. There are four ski slopes with three ski lifts, and a ski school. There are tracks for cross-country skiing around the town, covering 20 km.

Sights

The main landmark of the historic town centre is the Church of Saint Margaret. It was originally a Gothic church from the mid-14th century, first documented in 1396. It was modified several times, then in 1883 it was rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style and the tower was added. There are two museums in the town. The Museum of

Šumava The Bohemian Forest, known in Czech as Šumava () and in German as Böhmerwald, is a low mountain range in Central Europe. Geographically, the mountains extend from Plzeň Region and South Bohemia in the Czech Republic to Austria and Bavaria i ...

features extensive exhibitions on glassmaking, gold mining, natural history and folklore, and seasonal exhibitions. The second museum is the Museum of Historical Motorcycles with the largest collection of historical motorcycles in the country. Kašperk Castle is located north of the town proper. At above sea level, it is the highest royal castle in Bohemia. At the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, the castle fell into disrepair and was abandoned. The royal chamber sold the castle to the town of Kašperské Hory in 1616, and it is owned by the town up to the present day. The castle ruin is open to the public and offers sightseeing tours.

Notable people

* Johannes Cardinalis von Bergreichenstein (c. 1375 – after 1428), lawyer and diplomat *

Kurt Raab Kurt Raab (20 July 1941 – 28 June 1988) was a West German stage and film actor, as well as a screenwriter and playwright. Raab is best remembered for his work with German film director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, with whom he collaborated on 31 ...

(1941–1988), German actor

Twin towns – sister cities

Kašperské Hory is twinned with: * Grafenau, Germany

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kasperske Hory Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Klatovy District Prácheňsko Bohemian Forest Ski areas and resorts in the Czech Republic