Kašperské Hory (; ) is a town in

Klatovy District Klatovy District () is a Okres, district in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Klatovy. With an area of , it is the largest district in the country. Administrative division Klatovy District is divided into three Di ...

in the

Plzeň Region Plzeň Region or Plzeňský Region (also known as Pilsen Region; ) is an Regions of the Czech Republic, administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the western part of the historical land of Bohemia and named after the capital, Plz ...

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

Administrative division

Kašperské Hory consists of nine municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Kašperské Hory (1,238) *Červená (31) *Dolní Dvorce (18) *Kavrlík (7) *Lídlovy Dvory (6) *Opolenec (3) *Podlesí (4) *Tuškov (26) *Žlíbek (28)

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 (; ) is a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 23,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument zones, urban monument zone. Administr ...

and south of

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 ...

. It lies on the border between the

Bohemian Forest Foothills Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, originally practised by 19th–20th century European and American artists and writers. * Bohemian style, a fa ...

and

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 ...

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 municipal 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 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 ...

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 (; ) 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 southwestern Bohemia, created in the late 13th c ...

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

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, by 24 November 1918, the town became part of the

Czechoslovak Republic Czechoslovak Republic (Czech and Slovak: ''Československá republika'', ČSR), was the official name of Czechoslovakia between 1918 and 1939 and between 1945 and 1960. See: *First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938) *Second Czechoslovak Republic ...

. After the end of

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 ...

in 1945, the German-speaking population was expelled according to the

Potsdam agreement The Potsdam Agreement () was the agreement among three of the Allies of World War II: the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union after the war ended in Europe that was signed on 1 August 1945 and published the following day. A ...

Demographics

Transport

No railway or major roads pass through the municipal territory. The town is connectected to its surroundings by the II/145 road.

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 Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

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 language, Czech as () and in German language, 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 Republi ...

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 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 ...

. 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 Johannes Cardinalis von Bergreichenstein (also ''John Cardinal of Reinstein'', ; c. 1375 – after 1428) was a lawyer and diplomat from Bohemia. He was rector of Charles University in Prague 1416-1417. In 1394 he took up the study of law at the ...

( – after 1428), lawyer and diplomat * Kurt Raab (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