České Budějovice (; ) is a city in the

South Bohemian Region The South Bohemian Region () is an administrative unit (''Regions of the Czech Republic, kraj'') of the Czech Republic, located mostly in the southern part of its historical land of Bohemia, with a small part in southwestern Moravia. The western ...

of the

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

. It has about 97,000 inhabitants. The city is located in the valley of the

Vltava The Vltava ( , ; ) is the longest river in the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Elbe River. It runs southeast along the Bohemian Forest and then north across Bohemia, through Český Krumlov, České Budějovice, and Prague. It is com ...

River, at its confluence with the Malše. České Budějovice is the largest city in the region and its political and commercial capital, the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of České Budějovice and the University of South Bohemia. It is famous for the

Budweiser Budvar Brewery Budweiser Budvar ( ) is a brewery in the Czech Republic, Czech city of České Budějovice (), best known for its original Budweiser or Budweiser Budvar pale lager brewed using Artesian aquifer, artesian water, Moravian barley and Saaz hops. Bud ...

. The historic city centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument reservation.

Administrative division

České Budějovice consists of seven municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *České Budějovice 1 (3,024) *České Budějovice 2 (36,041) *České Budějovice 3 (25,568) *České Budějovice 4 (1,999) *České Budějovice 5 (8,171) *České Budějovice 6 (8,839) *České Budějovice 7 (12,022) České Budějovice 5 forms an

exclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is s ...

of the municipal territory.

Etymology

The name Budějovice is derived from personal Slavic name Budivoj, meaning "the village of Budivoj's people". The name first appeared as ''Budoywicz'', then it appeared in various similar forms. The German name was created by transcribing and shortening the Czech name. When the royal city was founded in 1265, the name appeared as ''Budwoyz'' and then it was adapted to ''Budweis''. The name ''Budvicium'' was used in Latin. After the Hussite revolution in the first half of the 15th century, the name ''České Budějovice'' ("

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

n Budějovice") appeared to distinguish it from Moravské Budějovice ("

Moravia Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The medieval and early ...

n Budějovice").

Geography

České Budějovice is located about south of

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

. It lies in the

České Budějovice Basin The České Budějovice Basin () is a structural basin and Geomorphological division of the Czech Republic, geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located in the South Bohemian Region and it is named after the city of České Bud� ...

, only a small eastern part of the municipal territory extends into the Třeboň Basin. The city is spread mostly across a plain making it nearly flat in the inner parts with hillier areas in the eastern suburbs. The highest point, located in the city's exclave, is at above sea level. The main part of the municipal territory does not exceed . České Budějovice is situated in the valley of the

River, at its confluence with the Malše. A set of large fishponds is located in the northwestern part of the municipal territory. The largest pond is Novohaklovský rybník with an area of . Several of the ponds lies within the

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

of Vrbenské rybníky.

Climate

České Budějovice has a cooler and wet inland version of a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Dfb''; Trewartha: ''Dcbo'') with an average annual temperature of . There are four seasons, with a murky dry winter between early December and early March, a sunny and wetter spring between half of March up to half of May changing to a rainy and warm summer during late May and early September when a dry autumn lasting to late November begins. There are between 1,550 and 1,800 hours of sunshine in most years. The extreme temperature throughout the year ranged from on 11 February 1929 to on 27 July 1983.

History

13th–18th centuries

The first written mention of Budějovice is from 1251, when it was only a village. The royal city was founded on its site by King Ottokar II in 1265. The siting and planning of the city was carried out by the king's

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

Hirzo. The city was fortified and had three gates. It immediately became the political and economic capital of south Bohemia. The city quickly became rich thanks to the development of trade and crafts and thanks to silver mining in the nearby area. The German-speaking settlers were coming from the

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

and

Upper Austria Upper Austria ( ; ; ) is one of the nine States of Austria, states of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg (state), Salzbur ...

. In 1341, King

John of Bohemia John of Bohemia, also called the Blind or of Luxembourg (; ; ; 10 August 1296 – 26 August 1346), was the Count of Luxembourg from 1313 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of Poland. He is well known for having died while fighting ...

allowed

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

families to reside within the city walls. The first

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

was built in 1380. At the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, the Jewish community had about 100 inhabitants. In 1505–1506, a

pogrom A pogrom is a violent riot incited with the aim of Massacre, massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe late 19th- and early 20th-century Anti-Jewis ...

occurred and the Jews were expelled from the city. During the 16th century, the number of German craftsmen in the city increased. In the 18th century, Germans became the majority. The city's fortifications were able to resist the Hussites during the

Hussite Wars The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, a ...

, but the city's development was disrupted by the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

and an extensive fire in 1641, during which two-thirds of the city was destroyed. Reconstructions in the Baroque style, which took place in the following decades, changed the architectural character of the city. In 1785,

Pope Pius VI Pope Pius VI (; born Count Angelo Onofrio Melchiorre Natale Giovanni Antonio called Giovanni Angelo or Giannangelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to hi ...

founded the Roman Catholic Diocese of České Budějovice and the Church of Saint Nicholas was promoted to a

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

19th–20th centuries

In the 19th century, the city was industrialized. During his time, České Budějovice became a major trade hub. The Budweis–Linz Horse-Drawn Railway was built in 1825–1832 and became the second oldest public line in

continental Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous mainland of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by som ...

(after the Saint-Étienne-Andrézieux line in France). The production of Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth pencils was relocated from

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

to České Budějovice in 1847. Aside from Hardtmuth brothers, Adalbert Lanna the Elder belonged among the city's most prominent industrialists of the 19th century. In 1895, ''Český akciový pivovar'' (later known as

) was founded. From 1848 until

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, there was again a Jewish community here, which in 1925 numbered over 1,400 people. The city remained a German-speaking

enclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is so ...

until 1880, after which

Czechs The Czechs (, ; singular Czech, masculine: ''Čech'' , singular feminine: ''Češka'' ), or the Czech people (), are a West Slavs, West Slavic ethnic group and a nation native to the Czech Republic in Central Europe, who share a common Bohemia ...

became the majority. Until the end of World War II, the city contained a significant German minority (about 15.5% in 1930). The ratios between the Germans and the Czechs were in 1880: 11,829 Germans to 11,812 Czechs, in 1890: 11,642 to 16,585, in 1900: 15,436 to 23,427, in 1910: 16,903 to 27,309 and in 1921: 7,415 to 35,800. The reason for the change in the ratio was the high increase in the city's population, mainly caused by newly immigrated Czechs. The share of Germans fell below the legal limit of 20% and thus the Czech language became the only official language. The coexistence of Czechs and Germans was mostly peaceful, which changed only in the 1930s, when most of Germans tended to Nazism. During the Occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1939–1945, the city was part of the

Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was a partially-annexation, annexed territory of Nazi Germany that was established on 16 March 1939 after the Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945), German occupation of the Czech lands. The protector ...

. There was said to be established then a

Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...

prison and a forced labour camp in the city. During the final stages of World War II, in March 1945, České Budějovice was significantly damaged by

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

raids on strategic locations. At the end of the war, on 9 or 10 May 1945, Soviet troops occupied the city. The almost entire German population, which numbered 6,000 people, was then expelled under the

Beneš decrees The Beneš decrees were a series of laws drafted by the Czechoslovak government-in-exile in the absence of the Czechoslovak parliament during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in World War II. They were issued by President Edvard Beneš fr ...

Demographics

Economy

České Budějovice is the economic centre 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 employees are: The České Budějovice agglomeration was defined as a tool for drawing money from the

European Structural and Investment Funds The European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds, ESIFs) are financial tools governed by a common rulebook, set up to implement the regional policy of the European Union, as well as the structural policy pillars of the Common Agricultu ...

. It is an area that includes the city and its surroundings, linked to the city by commuting and migration. It has about 180,000 inhabitants.

Beer brewing

Since its foundation in the 13th century, České Budějovice has been well known for brewing. In 1351, they obtained the so-called "mile right" from the king, i.e. that no pubs outside the city can be located within a radius of 10 km, and from 1410, not even breweries. For a time, the town was the imperial brewery for the

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...

, and ''Budweiser Bier'' (i.e. beer from Budweis) became, along with ''

Pilsner Pilsner (also pilsener or simply pils) is a type of pale lager. It takes its name from the Bohemian city of Plzeň (), where the world's first pale lager (now known as Pilsner Urquell) was produced in 1842 by Pilsner Urquell Brewery. History ...

'' from

Plzeň Plzeň (), also known in English and German as Pilsen (), is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the Statutory city (Czech Republic), fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about west of P ...

, one of the best-known

lager Lager (; ) is a Type of beer, style of beer brewed and Brewing#Conditioning, conditioned at low temperature. Lagers can be Pale lager, pale, Amber lager, amber, or Dark lager, dark. Pale lager is the most widely consumed and commercially availab ...

s. Brewing remains a major industry. The largest brewery, founded in 1895, is Budweiser Budvar, 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 Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC ( ) is an American brewing company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Since 2008, it has been wholly owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (AB InBev), now the world's largest brewing company, which owns multiple ...

over the Budweiser brand and Anheuser-Busch sells its beer as "Bud" in most of the European Union. The

American lager The American lager or North American lager is a style of pale lager produced in the United States and Canada. Pale lagers originated in Europe in the mid-19th century and were brought to North America by German American, German immigrants. While ...

was originally brewed as an imitation of the famous Bohemian original, but over time has developed its own identity and attained remarkable commercial success. Anheuser-Busch has made offers to buy out the Czech brewing company in order to secure global rights to the name "Budweiser", but the Czech government has refused all such offers, regarding the Czech Budweiser name as a matter of national pride. The oldest operating and second largest brewery, founded in 1795, was renamed to "Pivovar Samson", replacing its original German name "

Budweiser Bürgerbräu Budweiser () is an American lager, American-style pale lager, a brand of Belgian company AB InBev. Introduced in 1876 by Carl Conrad & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, Budweiser has become a large selling beers in the United States, beer company in t ...

" during the communist period. It also exported, mostly under the "Samson" and "Crystal" labels. Recently, they reacquired naming rights for Budweiser for Europe while offering "B. B. Bürgerbräu" in the US since 2005.

Transport

The

European route E55 European route E55 is an E-route. It starts in southern Sweden, crosses the Øresund strait to Denmark, and passes through more water (the western Baltic Sea) to reach continental Europe on Rostock, Germany. Thence it continues further southwar ...

(the section from Prague to the Czech-Austrian border at

Dolní Dvořiště Dolní Dvořiště () is a municipality and village in Český Krumlov District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,400 inhabitants. Administrative division Dolní Dvořiště consists of eight municipal parts (in b ...

) passes through České Budějovice. The section from Prague to České Budějovice is formed by the D3 motorway. The section from České Budějovice to the Czech-Austrian border is formed by the I/3 road. The second notable road connection is the I/20 road (part of the European route E49), which connects České Budějovice with

and

Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary (; , formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is located at the confluence of the Ohře and Teplá (river), Teplá ri ...

. Direct international railways were built via České Budějovice by the Czech-Austrian companies Emperor Franz Joseph Railway in 1868 and Empress Elisabeth Railway in 1871, connecting

with Plzeň and Prague with

Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...

, via

Linz Linz (Pronunciation: , ; ) is the capital of Upper Austria and List of cities and towns in Austria, third-largest city in Austria. Located on the river Danube, the city is in the far north of Austria, south of the border with the Czech Repub ...

and

Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...

. Today, the most important lines in operation are Prague–České Budějovice, České Budějovice–Linz and Plzeň– Jihlava. The city is served by four train stations. The main station is named

České Budějovice České Budějovice (; ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 97,000 inhabitants. The city is located in the valley of the Vltava River, at its confluence with the Malše. České Budějovice is the largest ...

; other stations in the city are České Budějovice severní zastávka, České Budějovice jižní zastávka and Nové Hodějovice. Public domestic and international

České Budějovice Airport České Budějovice Airport (ICAO: LKCS, IATA: JCL) is a domestic and international airport operated by South Bohemian Airport České Budějovice a.s., owned by the South Bohemian Region. It is 6 km from the centre of České Budějovice, in ...

is located southwest from České Budějovice, in the territory of the municipalities of Planá and Homole. Intra-city transport is provided by buses and

trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...

es. Buses provide 16 lines (including 3 electric buses) and trolleybuses provide 7 lines. The transport company is owned by the city.

Culture

The most important annual event in the city is the Země Živitelka ('Earth the Breadwinner') exhibition. It is focused on agriculture and food industry. It takes place in the Výstaviště České Budějovice area, which is the largest area for holding exhibitions, cultural and social events in the city. Země Živitelka has been held regularly since 1973 and followed up on the exhibitions held here in 1960 and 1970. In 2028, České Budějovice will be the

European Capital of Culture A European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union (EU) for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong pan-European dimension. Being a European Capital of Culture can ...

Sport

Venues

České Budějovice is the site of many sports facilities and national stadiums, including the football Stadion Střelecký ostrov, the ice-hockey Budvar Arena and the Athletic Stadium Sokol. The Swimming Stadium České Budějovice features a 50-metre indoor pool, a diving pool, saunas, an outdoor swimming pool and a children's pool. After the modernization in 1998 a covered water slide was added and after the modernization in 2017 a new whirlpool.

Motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four clockwise, anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that ...

was a prominent sport in the city from 18 September 1956 until 1 July 1973. The speedway stadium on the Dlouhá louka, off Na Sádkách, opened in September 1955 and had a capacity of 30,000 spectators. The track was a 485 metre (530 yard) oval and a team representing the city participated in the inaugural Czechoslovak Team Speedway Championship in 1956.

Sport clubs

* SK Dynamo České Budějovice (association football –

Czech National Football League The Czech National Football League (, ''FNL''), known as Chance Národní Liga due to sponsorship reasons, is the second level professional association football league in the Czech Republic. Before 2013 it was known as 2. liga or Druhá liga. The ...

) * Motor České Budějovice (ice hockey – Czech Extraliga) * Jihostroj České Budějovice (

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

) *TJ Sokol České Budějovice ( athletics) *Hellboys České Budějovice (

american football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

) *RC České Budějovice (

rugby football Rugby football is the collective name for the team sports of rugby union or rugby league. Rugby football started at Rugby School in Rugby, Warwickshire, England, where the rules were first codified in 1845. Forms of football in which the ball ...

) *TJ Lokomotiva České Budějovice (

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

) *Budějovické Barakudy (

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

) *FBC Štíři České Budějovice (

floorball Floorball (also known by other names) is a sport played with five players and a goalkeeper in each team. It is played indoors with sticks and a hollow plastic ball with holes. Matches are played in three periods. The sport of bandy also playe ...

) *TJ Dynamo České Budějovice ( football tennis) *SKVS České Budějovice (

canoe slalom Canoe slalom (previously known as whitewater slalom) is a competitive sport with the aim to navigate a Spraydeck, decked canoe or kayak through a course of hanging downstream or upstream gates on Whitewater, river rapids in the fastest time pos ...

)

Sights

The historic city centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument reservation. Among the main landmarks of the city and most visited tourist destinations is the Black Tower (''Černá věž''). It was built in 1550–1577 as a guarding tower and a bell tower. It is high and 225 wooden steps lead to the top. The tower is equipped by six bells. The Iron Maiden Tower and the Rabenštejn Tower are a 14th-century former prisons and two of the few remains of the Old Town's Gothic fortifications. Today the first one houses a pub and the second one houses an exhibition of armour and historical weapons. In 1872, the Gothic town walls were demolished.

City square

The historic city centre is formed by the large Přemysl Otakar II. Square and its surroundings. The city square has the shape of a regular square and belongs among the largest squares in the country. The square is lined with

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

and

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

houses with arcades. Most of the houses have a Gothic core. In the middle of the square is Samson Fountain. It is a Baroque fountain built in 1721–1727, which is the largest fountain in the Czech Republic with a diameter of . Originally, it was not only decorative, but also served to supply the city with water from the Vltava river. Next to the fountain is the so-called Lost Rock, the only remnant of the original pavement. The City Hall is the most distinctive house on the square. It was originally a Renaissance house from the mid-16th century, completely rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1727–1730 according to the design of Anton Erhard Martinelli. The façade with three towers is decorated with four allegorical sculptures. On the highest tower there is a carillon from 1995. The City Hall still serves its purpose today, but it also offers guided tours.

Sacral monuments

The Dominican monastery with the Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary are the oldest monuments in the historic centre of České Budějovice. The monastery was founded in 1265 together with the city. The originally Gothic buildings were rebuilt in the Baroque style. The monastery was abolished in 1785. In 1865, the church was modified in the neo-Gothic style. The former Capuchin monastery was founded in 1614. The Church of Saint Anne was built in the early Baroque style in 1615–1621. The monastery was abolished in 1804 and its building was rebuilt in the Neoclassical style in 1843–1844. In the 1980s, the church was changed into a concert hall. The Church of Saint Nicholas is a three-nave basilica, located near the main city square. It was founded in 1265. After the fire in 1641, it was rebuilt in the Renaissance style. In 1785, the church was promoted to a

. The Church of the Holy Family was built in the neo-Gothic style in 1886–1887. It has a valuable Beuron Art School decoration of the interior. The Church of Saints John the Baptist and Procopius was founded in the first half of the 13th century, in the original village before the foundation of the royal city. It was expanded and modified many times; its present appearance is the result of regotization in 1872. Next to the church is the oldest cemetery in České Budějovice with many valuable tombstones.

Museums

The Museum of South Bohemia was founded in 1870 and opened to the public in 1877 in a house next to the city hall. The current museum was built in the Neo-Renaissance style in 1899–1901 and opened in 1903. The museum has four permanent exhibitions: archaeological, natural science, geological and ethnographic. The Museum of the Horse Drawn Railway is a branch of the Museum of South Bohemia. It is located in a former guardhouse at the point where the Budweis–Linz Horse-Drawn Railway started. The house, as well as all the preserved sections of the horse-drawn railway, is protected as a national cultural monument.

In literature

The city is one of the major settings in the novel '' The Good Soldier Švejk'' by

Jaroslav Hašek Jaroslav Hašek (; 1883–1923) was a Czechs, Czech writer, Humorism, humorist, Satire, satirist, journalist, Bohemianism, bohemian, first anarchist and then communist, and commissar of the Red Army against the Czechoslovak Legion. He is best k ...

. České Budějovice is the setting and was the working title for the play '' The Misunderstanding'' by

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, journalist, world federalist, and political activist. He was the recipient of the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the s ...

Notable people

* Adalbert Gyrowetz (1763–1850), composer * Matyáš Kalina of Jäthenstein (1772–1848), archaeologist * Franz Schuselka (1811–1886), politician * Otto Pilny (1866–1936), painter * Otto Steinhäusl (1879–1940), police officer * Jan Palouš (1888–1971), ice hockey player * Rudolf Tomaschek (1895–1966), experimental physicist * Anna Binder-Urbanová (1912–2004), philosophy lecturer * Norbert Frýd (1913–1976), writer * Rolf Thiele (1918–1994), film director and producer * Haro Senft (1928–2016), film director * Marta Kubišová (born 1942), singer * Vladimír Remek (born 1948), cosmonaut, pilot and politician * Pavel Tobiáš (born 1955), football player and manager * František Straka (born 1958), football player and manager * Zdeněk Tůma (born 1960), economist * Karel Roden (born 1962), actor * Karel Havlíček (born 1969), politician * Karel Vácha (born 1970), footballer * Jiří Lerch (born 1971), footballer * Jaroslav Modrý (born 1971), ice hockey player * Radek Mynář (born 1974), footballer * Stanislav Neckář (born 1975), ice hockey player *

Václav Prospal Václav "Vinny" Prospal (born 17 February 1975) is a Czech former professional ice hockey player, currently a hockey coach. He played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, ...

(born 1975), ice hockey player * Martin Hofmann (born 1978), actor * Roman Lengyel (born 1978), footballer * Vladimíra Uhlířová (born 1978), tennis player * Josef Melichar (born 1979), ice hockey player * David Lafata (born 1981), footballer * Václav Nedorost (born 1982), ice hockey player * Filip Novák (born 1982), ice hockey player * Michal Trpák (born 1982), sculptor * Jiří Kladrubský (born 1985), footballer * Milan Gulaš (born 1985), ice hockey player * Tomáš Mertl (born 1986), ice hockey player * Martin Hanzal (born 1987), ice hockey player

Twin towns – sister cities

České Budějovice is twinned with: *

, Austria *

Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town (''Communes of France, commune'') and Port, seaport in the Morbihan Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginn ...

, France * Nitra, Slovakia *

Passau Passau (; ) is a city in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the ("City of Three Rivers"), as the river Danube is joined by the Inn (river), Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north. Passau's population is about 50,000, of whom ...

, Germany * Suhl, Germany

References

External links

*
Official tourist portalČeské Budějovice
on the official tourist portal of the South Bohemian Region
Official encyclopedy of České Budějovice

České Budějovice on DiscoverCzech Travel Agency
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ceske Budejovice Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in České Budějovice District