Walking Routes - Around the City Walls

The route: Přemysl Otakar II Square - Radniční Street - Česká Street - Piarist Square - Dominican Monastery - Salt House - Panská Street - Rabenštejn Tower - Mlýnská Street - Zátkovo Embankment - Železná panna (Iron Maid) - South Bohemian Theatre - Široká Street - Bishop's Residence

From Přemysl Otakar II Square, you can walk along the town hall to Radniční Street past the Salt Gate and continue to Česká Street, where you will find the remains of a salt store next to the grammar school building. Salt was transported to České Budějovice first on horse-drawn carts, then on a boat and later on a horse-drawn railway. You will also find one of the seven Budweiser Budvar breweries in Česká Street. Beer from this production can be tasted in the neighbouring “pub”, which is one of the legendary meeting points for the locals.

If we continue along Česká Street, you can see Piarist Square in the gap between the houses, where you can see such gems as the premises of the Dominican monastery with the Church of the Sacrifice of the Virgin Mary from the end of the 13th century, in a predominantly Gothic style. In the 14th century, the interior of the monastery church was decorated with unique colourful frescoes depicting scenes from the life of saints, some of which were uncovered and restored during the reconstruction between 1993 and 1997. Especially the fresco with the motif of St. Christopher, the patron of all pilgrims and travellers, stands out for its dimensions. The monastery is surrounded by a garden with Baroque statues by Josef Dietrich. In the middle of the 15th century a monastery tower called the "White" was built. Another important monument is the former armoury with a stepped Gothic gable, which also served as a granary and a salt store. The building was completely renovated in 2019 and it is now possible to taste beer from their own production.

Then you can go to Panská Street , where the Rabenštej Tower from the 14th century rises at its end, this one of the two preserved towers of the former fortification. From its beginnings it served as a refuge for the city's defenders; it was possible to cannonade the area in front of the main wall: gunpowder and guns were stored here after the proliferation of firearms. Later, the tower was also used as a dungeon, or prostitutes visited the place for regular medical examinations.

From the Rabenštejn Tower, return along Mlýnská Street , which follows the original city walls and will lead you to the blind arm of the Vltava River.

Around the blind arm of the river, you can see parts of the preserved city walls, behind which there is a bishop's garden with the Otakarka Tower, and continue along the river to the second fortification tower. It was also built in the 14th century and its name, Železná panna (Iron Maiden), was given owing to the torture instrument, which according to legend could be found here.

Then cross the Malše River along the Iron Bridge, from where you can see the confluence of the Vltava and Malše rivers, and on the right side begins the Háječek Park with a stunning historical gazebo, which served as a music pavilion. It was completely renovated in 2022 and now functions as a café. Space lovers can visit the observatory and planetarium. Behind the bridge, turn left and walk along the Zátkovo embankment around the Palace of Justice. On the embankment there are two statues - St. John of Nepomuk and the Virgin Mary of Budejovice, the city's protector.

On the Golden Bridge, over which merchants entered the town and brought wealth here, you will go back to the Malše and the Empire building of the South Bohemian Theatre, originally from 1819. In memory of Josef Kajetán Tyl's work in the Budejovice theatre, his bust can be seen at the front of the theatre. On the other side of the theatre there is a monument to Emma Destinn, the world opera singer who died in Budějovice.

We are slowly closing the circuit around the historical centre along Široká Street, which is particularly interesting for the old town houses and is also one of the oldest parts of the city. But before you finally return to Přemysl Otakar II Square, you will go through Biskupská Street, where you can find the bishop’s residence with a low prism-like bell tower.