Pilsen - South Region

The South of Pilsen has a completely different character than the wooded North-East. Woods are also plentiful here but interspaced with fields and meadows. The rural character of the region is complemented by picturesque towns and villages in the folk classicist style. It is easy to find accommodation here and spend a beautiful holiday in a region full of chateaux, castles and natural landmarks. The landscape is very suitable for cycling.

Towns and Villages

Starý Plzenec

The oldest recorded settlement in the Pilsen region. The Hůrka fortified settlement - a listed national cultural monument - built on the site of an older settlement from the Halstadt period at the beginning of the 10th century as a centre of the royal power of the Přemysl dynasty. Preserved pre-Romanesque rotunda of St. Peter and Paul from the beginning of the 10th century and foundations of the church of St. Laurent. A network of streets with the churches of St. Mary, St. John the Baptist, St. Wenceslas and St. Martin in the settlement around the castle. A neo-classicist town hall.
www.staryplzenec.cz

Spálené Poříčí

The first record dates back to 1239. A Renaissance chateau from the beginning of the 17th century, church of St. Martin from the second half of the 14th century, deanery with a museum exposition, Jewish settlement (Jewish cemetery – a listed cultural monument, Lewidt’s House)
www.spaleneporici.cz

Přeštice

The first record dates back to 1226. The town is dominated by a Baroque church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the 18th century (K. I. Dientzenhofer, F. I. Prée, A. Lurago, A. Haffenecker) with the ceiling fresco by J. Preisler. Baroque building of the deanery. Fountain with the sculpture of St. Wenceslas, Marian column from 1676 and baroque sculptures of St. Kilian and St. John of Nepomuk. The birthplace of the composer Jakub Jan Ryba and of the prominent patron of arts Josef Hlávka.
www.prestice-mesto.cz

Nepomuk

First mentioned as a village founded by the Cistercian Order around 1177. The martyrdom of its prominent native – the 14th century vicar general Jan of Pomuk (the original name of the settlement), who was proclaimed a saint in the 18th century, gave rise to an prominent Czech tradition of veneration. The town is dominated by the churches of St. James and St. John of Nepomuk. The square with historical houses, deanery, museum and gallery. A chateau Zelená Hora (Green Mountain) on the top of the nearby namesake hill. (the location of the finding of the famous forged Zelenohorský manuscript and the setting of Josef Škvorecky’s novel Černí Baroni (Black Barons) and of the film based on it).
http://old.nepomuk.cz

Blovice

The first record dates back to 1284. A smallish square lined by a row of single-storey and two-storey mostly neo-classicist houses in the centre of Blovice. The town is dominated by the church of St. John the Evangelist, the sculptural group of St. Cross and the nearby manor Hradiště (museum)
www.blovice-mesto.cz

Kasejovice

The first record dates back to 1264. Jewish community (important in the town’s history) recorded since 1570 (Jewish synagogue with a museum, Jewish cemetery). The town is dominated by the early Gothic church of St. James from the second half of the 13th century. Further sights: Renaissance town hall, Baroque fountain, chapel of St. Vojtěch (Adalbert).
www.kasejovice.cz

Castles and Chateaux

Radyně Castle Ruins

Extensive ruins of a former Gothic guard castle on the top of the Radyně hill (with its 576 m /1890 feet above sea level - the highest hill in the vicinity of Pilsen). The castle which was intended to strengthen the protection of the borders and of the merchant routes to Bavaria, was founded by Charles IV. in 1356 (hence the original name of Karlskrone). Deserted after 1521. The tower has been converted into a viewing tower offering view of the entire Pilsen basin.

Zámek Kozel – Šťáhlavy

Originally a hunting chateau in the Neo-classicist style (designed by V. Haberditz) built between 1784 and 1789. A simple four-wing single-storey building. The interior decorated by frescos by A. Tuvora from 1787 – 1788. Other buildings dating back to the 18th century (by I. Palliardi) – e.g. the riding hall (nowadays used as an exhibition hall) and the chapel (nowadays used for services as well as concerts and ceremonies). The chateau is surrounded by an English park (40 ha /99 acres) dating back to 1870s – 1890s (gradually landscaped in the “natural spirit” by the chateau’s garden designer F. X. Franc)
www.zamek-kozel.cz

Zámek Nebílovy (Nebílovy Chateau)

A Wienna style Baroque building, unique in the Bohemian context, dating back to 1706 (built by J. Auguston according to the project by J. L. Hildebrandt). The two buildings of the chateau situated opposite each other along the axis of the court, connected by side arcade galleries. The interior decorated by Romantic paintings by A. Tuvora from the late 18th century. Nicknamed “the Floral Chateau” because of the frequent motif of flowers on the furniture. A collection of Venice style cut glass flower chandeliers.
www.cestujme.cz/nebilovy

Dolní Lukavice

A 13th century fortress converted (by J. Auguston) into a Baroque chateau in 1708. A large fresco by F. J. Lux in the chateau’s chapel. Early Baroque sculptures by L. Widman. Park from the 18th century (designed by J. F. Schor) with sculptures and pheasantry. The prominent composer F. J. Haydn lived and worked here as a chapel-master of Earl Morzin. The chateau is not open to the public.
www.dolni-lukavice.cz

Lužany

A Renaissance chateau on the site of a 13th century fortress. Since 1867 it was owned by the world renowned architect and native of Lužany, Josef Hlávka, who converted the chateau into a pseudo-Renaissance style in 1886 - 1887. Chapel decorations with Byzantine elements by K. Jobst. Artworks by M. Švabinský, J. Mařák, V. Brožík, L. Schmidt, J. V. Myslbek, L. J. Šaloun, F. Ondrůšek and P. Wagner in the chateau. Preserved period interiors and a park.

Spálené Poříčí

Originally a fortress converted into a four-wing, two-storey Renaissance chateau in 1617. Decorated by sgrafitti. A Neo-Gothic tower added in the second half of the 19th century. Two Renaissance porches in the court. A church school nowadays.
www.spaleneporici.cz

Zelená Hora

A chateau built in the 2nd half of the 17th century by the Šternberk family on the site of an original castle. The Jesuite writer Bohuslav Balbín stayed in the chateau in 1680 as well as the Emperor Joseph II. in 1766 and 1772. The famous forged manuscript Rukopis Zelenohorský was “found” here. The chateau is well known thanks to Josef Škvorecky’s novel Černí baroni and the film based on it. It is currently under reconstruction and occasionally accessible
www.zelenahora.cz/5.htm

Žinkovy

Originally a 17th century Baroque chateau converted into a Pseudo-Gothic style in 1898 and 1916. Neo-Gothic front with towers in the style of French castle architecture, arcades and coats of arms of the owners. Surrounding park from the end of the 19th century. Currently in private hands, not open to public.
http://zinkovy.advice.cz

Museum and Galleries

Municipal Museum and Gallery Nepomuk

Exposition of the Museum of West Bohemia. Blacksmith and locksmith works from Gothic to Baroque times complemented by a section of Baroque tinnery. History of the town and its vicinity. Ethnography in Nepomuk, pictures and artworks.
Gallery: Pictures by the native artist A. Němejc.

Blovice – Southern Pilsen Region Museum

Since 2000, the Southern Pilsen Region Museum in Blovice has been located in the listed building of a Pseudo-Gothic manor Hradiště. The museum was opened to public after a major reconstruction in 2002. The museum collections include: archaeology, ethnography, arts and crafts, fine art and literary history.

Jewish Monuments

Kasejovice – Museum in the Synagogue

At present, the Baroque building of the Synagogu serves as a museum. Exposition of crafts from the vicinity of Kasejovice, renowned for its embroidery and pottery.

Natural Landmarks

Fajmanovy skály (Fajman‘s Rocks) and Klenky– natural protected area ( 29,35 ha /72,5 acres)

A siliceous rock formation surrounded by a stone field and remnants of fir and beech grove complemented by relict pine woods on rocks near Nové Mitrovice.
335 63 Nové Mitrovice

Hořehledy – natural landmark (5,54 ha/13,7 acres)

Naturally meandering Mítov brook, surrounded by alluvian plain with remnants of riparian woodland and wetland alder.
335 61 Hořehledy, post office: Spálené Poříčí

Hádky – natural landmark

Natural landmark (5,62 ha / 13,9 acres) thermophilic oak wood with rare flora.

Hůrka – Černá stráň (Black Slope) – natural landmark

Natural landmark (8,28 ha / 20,5 acres). Location of Ordovician fossils in slate.

Chejlava – Natural protected area (25,90 ha/ 64 acres )

Forest type mixed beech stand with fir, oak, sycamore and spruce on a siliceous rock massif of the Beech Mountain (Buková hora). Generically the richest beech wood in the Pilsen area.

Chynínské buky – (Chynín beech wood) – natural protected area (13,92 ha / 34,4 acres)

A well preserved forest type beech wood on algonkian slate (beech, fir, sycamore, ash, spruce, Norway maple, elm, birch and rowan)

Kokšín – natural protected area (20,65 ha / 51 acres)

A typical mixed wood of the Brdy submountain area (old beech/fir and linden/maple stand) A pre-historic elliptic fortified settlement on the Southern edge.

Míšovské buky – (Míšov beech wood) natural landmark (5,03 ha /12,4 acres)

Natural landmark with remnants of original acidic beech wood and mixed beech/fir wood on the hillside of a siliceous rock hill.
335 63 Míšov, post office: Nové Mitrovice

Pod Smutným koutem (Under the Sad Corner) – natural landmark (8,65 ha / 21 acres)

Oak wood of different ages with various grove flora habitation. Tourist trail from Čižice.
332 09 Čižice, post office: Štěnovice

Zlín – natural protected area ( 17,75 ha /44 acres )

Unique thermophilic oak wood with hornbeam on slate ground. Wooded hillock about 386 m (1266 feet) high with several kinds of rare and protected vegetation. A former pheasantry in the mixed oak/hornbeam wood. Located between the villages Snopoušovy and Dolní Lukavice.