České Budějovice

České Budějovice (also known as Budweis in German or English) is in South Bohemia, in the Czech Republic. The town has since grown into the metropolitan centre. It is the largest town in South Bohemia region and it has approximately 96,000 inhabitants.

The picturesque village of Holašovice, 16 km west of České Budějovice, has a well-preserved folk Baroque centre and is a UNESCO site.

Understand
This South Bohemian metropolis was founded in 1265 by the Czech King Premysl Otakar II on the confluence of the Vltava and Malse Rivers. The Square of Premysl Otakar II is 133 m by 137 m, and is one of the largest squares in Bohemia. It has arcades and a range of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque burgher's houses. The other important town monuments include the Town Hall, the Samson's fountain and the 72-metre-high Black Tower which provides a beautiful view of the town and surroundings.

The town is an excellent place to visit if you want to escape the large numbers of tourists in Prague or nearby Český Krumlov. Its well-developed transport links make it the perfect base from which to explore the surrounding region. There are many historic towns and villages nearby, numerous hiking trails, and a vast cycle path network. The most famous cycle path is No. 12 which connects České Budějovice and Hluboká nad Vltavou.



Get in
České Budějovice a nice place to stay: its good connections with the surrounding region make it an excellent place from which to explore South Bohemia. The buses and trains run on time and are cheap and relatively easy to understand. The bus station is on the roof of Mercury Centrum and tickets are bought on the bus. Train tickets can be bought before boarding.

By bus
Buses leave frequently from "Na Knížecí" and "Roztyly" bus stations in Prague to here. The trip takes approximately 2½-3 hours. There is also the Yellow Bus line offered by Student Agency, which takes 2 hr 20 min for a similar price. The bus junction in České Budějovice is at the "Mercury Centrum", a two-storey shopping mall with the bus station on the roof, just outside the city center. It is 100 m down the street from the train station. For rates and schedules, visit the official transport website IDOS.

Shuttle bus transfer Budweis-shuttle operate comfortable daily bus service between České Budějovice and the following cities: Prague (1½ hr, 1,000 Kč): From Austria: Salzburg (3 hr, 1,100 Kč), Vienna (3 hr, 1,100 Kč), Linz (1½ hr, 450 Kč), Hallstatt (2½ hr, 1100 Kč). From other countries: Munich, Germany (4 hr, 1,600 Kč), and Bratislava, Slovakia.

By train
From Prague, train is probably better than bus, as it is often more comfortable, cheaper, faster, and goes from centre to centre. Trains connect from Prague to here every hour. The trip from Prague takes 2-2½ hr. Standard fare sold at the ticket office is 222 Kč for single person (133 Kč second person, 111 Kč other), but it is often much cheaper when bought in advance or online.

There are two types of train: rychlík (R) and express (Ex), with the latter being faster and more comfortable (both are the same price). Other useful destinations reachable by direct train are Český Krumlov, Jindřichův Hradec, Tábor, Brno, Třebíč, Plzeň and Linz in Austria (connections to Salzburg, Vienna and other cities in Austria). Timetables and tickets at the Czech Railways website. As of August 2022 the station is under renovation and there are no left luggage facilities.

By car
The road from Prague is not very good, half of it is a new dual carriage highway, but the other half is a heavily congested two-lane road. Avoid travelling on this road on Friday and Sunday evenings. You have to pay for parking in the wider centre of the city, with the amount depending on the part of the city. There are parking machines on the street - you have to enter your license plate number when buying a parking ticket.

On foot
The historical centre of the city is completely walkable, but it is also possible to walk from the more distant parts of the city, even though it is likely to take more time.

By bicycle
The city is bicycle-friendly with many bicycle paths. You can rent the bike at the railway station or some hotel if you want it for a long term, but if you want it just for trips across the city, it is probably better to use bike-sharing app Rekola. The best maps for cycling are OsmAnd or Mapy.cz in outdoor mode.

By bus
There is an extensive network of public buses and trolleybuses that run quite frequently during the day. The ticket costs 16 Kč and is valid for one hour; there are ticket machines on the stops. Ticket inspectors are common, so it is better to have a valid a ticket. You have to validate your ticket in the bus. For timetable, you can use IDOS, if you want to find a route on the map, use OsmAnd or Mapy.cz.

By taxi
The world-wide app Taxify is working in České Budějovice. The biggest legacy taxi company is Taxi Budějovice, 0042014014.

By car
Common traffic jams and difficult parking zones make getting around by car a poor means of transport across the city.

Events

 * Múzy na vodě, traditional festival which can be seen at the confluence of the Vltava and Malše Rivers, every year at the beginning July.
 * Bread Basket, international agricultural fair. One of the most popular agricultural fairs in Czechia. The Bread Basket offers: renewal and rural development technology, plant and animal production, agricultural technology, food production, forestry and water system, gardening and breeding, services for agriculture, other.
 * Ema Destinnová - musical festival is a series of concerts of classical music taking place during August and September. The festival is organised in the centre of town and in churches, theatres.
 * Traditional Christmas Markets take over the main square from the beginning of period Advent. There are free concerts and performances, warming foods and traditional crafts ranging from blacksmith-work to the finest beeswax and honey products and a lot more.

Restaurants

 * Vendetta – An excellent value bar/restaurant on the main square and very nice freshly made pizzas.
 * Restaurace Karla IV. (Karla IV. 4) – A stylish Czech restaurant with large choice and the interior is decorated with Middle Ages legends.
 * Green House (Biskupská 3) – Healthy bio cuisine including vegetarian dishes, vegetable salads and soups.
 * Bar Lanovka (Lannova třída 2) – There is a climbing wall and popular healthy restaurant.
 * Green House (Biskupská 3) – Healthy bio cuisine including vegetarian dishes, vegetable salads and soups.
 * Bar Lanovka (Lannova třída 2) – There is a climbing wall and popular healthy restaurant.

Drink
Knock back a pitcher of Budweiser beer, as this is after all, its hometown (see also Pivovar Budějovický Budvar, above). The best option to experience this is to visit one of the pubs operated by the brewery itself as there you can find the widest selection of beers including any specials. Masné krámy and Malý Pivovar are located in the old city centre near the main square. Pick one of these without doubt, the other choice: Budvarka pub is in the brewery complex, further from the city centre to the north.

Pubs
In the main square Přemysla Otakara II. There are a lot of pubs and visitors from which can choose, e.g., B26, and Fantom.
 * Singer (Česká 55) – Irish-style pub in the old town. The name is derived from old school Singer sewing machines on the tables inside.
 * Potrefená husa (Česká 66) – A branch of another Czech brewery Staropramen franchise pubs. Select the place on the roof top terrace during the hot summer days to sip the beer or cocktail while look over the river Malse to Stromovka recreational park.

Cafés
You can get free Wi-Fi internet connection in almost all places listed below as one of the local ISPs provides the internet connection almost everywhere.


 * Kotva (Lidická 2110) – Café sharing the building with a small cinema.
 * Cafe au chat noir (Náměstí Přemysla Otakara II. 21) – Small cafe right on the main square near with awesome views on what's happening on the square as it is on the first floor (don't give up and walk through the stores on the ground floor to the stairs if you want to enter).
 * Cafe Placidus (Na Mlýnské stoce 11) – Modern café with Davidoff coffee and wide selection of cakes and other desserts.
 * Manon (Náměstí Přemysla Otakara II. 11) – Café on the west side of the main square with highly decorated interior purely in black & white tones. Good coffee, views of the square, but a bit lack of atmosphere.
 * Café Plaza (Náměstí Přemysla Otakara II. 7) – "New kid on the block" right next to the city hall. One of the pluses here are particularly quite late opening hours every day.
 * Café la Storia (Panská 26) – Café in one of the oldest buildings in the city near city walls. In the hot summer day don't sit outside, but try to find your chair inside in small yard between the buildings where you can avoid the sun and where the temperature stays always comfortable. Take one of the Lavazza coffee magazines to learn something new.
 * Café Ionia (Plachého 16) – Small place with a bar, two tables outside during the summer and less frequent coffee brand which also gives a name to this place.
 * Rolo and Café – If you want cake then head here! There is one opposite the train station, another on the main square and another just off the main square on the way to Tesco.

Clubs

 * Modrý dveře (Biskupská 1) – Trendy styled pub/restaurant with occasional live jazz music.
 * Velbloud (U Tří lvů 4) – Small alternative music club near city centre. The program contains mainly rock, punk & alternative, but it is regularly mixed with other modern styles.
 * Horká vana (Česká 7) – Café and club in modern space and it organizes regular performances every month.
 * SUD (Hroznová 8) – Small theatre which is very popular among university students.

Go next



 * Český Krumlov – A UNESCO World Heritage landmark and an extremely popular tourist destination. Buses to Český Krumlov leave every half hour or so from the main bus station at Mercury Centrum and takes about 45 minutes (32 Kč). Train is usually slower (55 minutes) and more expensive (49 Kč, although you get discount from the second passenger).
 * Hluboka nad Vltavou – A nearby village with large 'Windsor-style' castle up on the hill and an old church. Follow the cycle path 12 along the Vltava River north of the city (about 10 km) and it will bring you right into Hluboka.
 * Holašovice – A small rural village which is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List for being the best preserved traditional Central European village. Its square is lined with unique houses decorated in the 'Folk Baroque' style. There is also a small pond and chapel. Two of the buildings house pubs and there is also a Tourist information office.
 * Kleť – This is the highest point in the nearby region and offers relaxed forest walking, cycling and 360° panoramic view of South Bohemia from the top. It also has an observatory on top. To get there take the train from main station to Holubov village, from where you will see the mountain. The train goes from the main station and you need to be in the end carriage to be able to get off at Holubov. On the way back visiting the ruins of gothic Divci Kamen castle is a few kilometers short trip in the area below the mountain (see Get Out section of Český Krumlov).
 * Telč – A UNESCO World Heritage small but extremely charming city. Around 2 hours and 105 Kč by local bus.
 * Trebon – A picturesque town with a castle, the Regent brewery, fish lakes and a lovely town square. There are also various walking and cycling paths. It takes about 45 minutes on the bus from Mercury Centrum through some lovely scenery.
 * Zlata Koruna – This beautifully-restored monastery is set in a stand of ancient oaks. The bus to Cesky Krumlov stops here.