Although Ceské Budejovice often plays second fiddle to Cesky Krumlov for tourists visiting the South Bohemia region of Czechia, it is definitely worthy of a visit itself. Although it may lack major attractions, it’s still a joy to stroll through. It has one of Europe’s largest main town squares, its historic center is both compact and highly picturesque, and it is home to the Budweiser Budvar brewery. It is also generally much less crowded with other tourists than Prague or Cesky Krumlov, making exploring during the busier parts of the day more enjoyable. Below we present our Travel Guide of the Top Things to See and Do in Ceské Budejovice to help you get the most out of your visit to this charming South Bohemian city.
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You might also be interested in these pages:
4-Day Itinerary in South Bohemia
Best Things to See and Do in Cesky Krumlov
Best Day Trips from Cesky Krumlov
Ceské Budejovice Orientation
This South Bohemian metropolis was founded in 1265 by the Czech King Premysl Otakar II on the confluence of the Vltava and Malse Rivers. Today Ceské Budejovice is the capital city of Czechia’s South Bohemia Region, has a population of roughly 100,000 people, and is the country’s 7th largest city. It is well connected with other popular cities and is only about 150 km south of Prague and 25km north of Cesky Krumlov.
Although Ceské Budejovice is often overlooked by many travellers to Czechia, we feel that’s a shame as it’s definitely a city worth your time, especially as a day trip from Cesky Krumlov. It can also serve as a great base to explore the surrounding area, especially if you don’t have a car since it is better connected with nearby attractions (such as Hluboka Castle) by public transit than Cesky Krumlov is.
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Parking
If you plan on arriving in your own vehicle, this is a great place to park, just south of the old town main square (a 5-minute walk). Alternatively, if you want to be closer to the northern side of town and the Budvar brewery, this is a good alternative, however, the walk to the town center is slightly longer (about 15 minutes). Both locations are paid underground car parks. Finding street parking can be quite difficult.
Arrival by train or bus
You can also travel by bus or train on your own from either Cesky Krumlov or Prague, but know that it’s about a 15-20 minute walk from the train and bus stations to the centre of the Old Town.
Although the modern part of the city is quite sprawling, all the sites listed below and located in the old historic center can easily be visited on foot. You can easily cover the area in less than an area, but plan for a bit more time not to feel rushed and enjoy some of the sights.
As you can see, the historic old town is almost completely surrounded by water. The Malse and Vltava Rivers lie to the south and west, whereas the Mill Canal (Mlýnská stoka) lies to the east and north. All these waterways make you feel like you’re on an island and are a popular place to chill out on a sunny afternoon.
Aside from the Budvar brewery (not seen on the map), all the sites of interest are located within a few blocks of the old town’s main square.
Top Things to See and Do in Ceske Budejovice
The Old Town Square
Located in the heart of the old town, and officially known as Premysl Otakar II Square in honour of the city founder King Premsyl Otakar II, the old town square is no doubt the piece de résitance of the city’s historic center. This is, perhaps surprisingly, the second biggest town square in the country. In fact, it’s one of the largest squares in Europe, measuring exactly one hectare in size, and has become an integral part of every Czech mathematics textbook.
Surrounding the square are 48 arcaded buildings, with a variety of Renaissance and Baroque styles. Historical landmarks here include St. Nicholas Cathedral, the Black Tower, Samson’s Fountain and the distinct yellow-colored Vcela Palace.
In the northeast corner of the square, there is also an impressive metallic horse sculpture.
Premysl Otakar II Square is also where you will find the beautiful Town Hall building (near the southeast corner), originally built in 1555 but having received a baroque facelift in 1731. This is also the building where you’ll find the Tourist Information Centre to book tours that, among other things, allow you access to the roof. Sadly for us, its exterior facade was undergoing renovations during our visit (you’ll notice it behind the fountain below).
Finally, located in the center of the square you will find the Samson Fountain – which depicts the biblical character Samson holding the mouth of a lion open, from which water spouts. Though the fountain dates from the 1720s, the statue you see now, along with the four sculpted gargoyles around the base of the fountain, are replicas – the originals were moved indoors to protect them from the elements and can now be seen inside the Town Hall.
Riverside views and the Dominican Monastery
Along the banks of the Malse River on the western side of the historic old town, you will find the impressive Dominican Monastery, the oldest Gothic monument in Ceské Budejovice – founded in 1265, around the same time as the city. It consists of the Church of Presentation of the Virgin Mary and various town fortifications.
Immediately north of the Monastery lies the photogenic Budweiss Hotel (the pink building), today a high-end hotel built in a converted 14th-century mill.
There are also various riverside trails and promenades that meander through a park opposite the old town where you can find various art installations and decorations.
Black Tower
Just a few blocks from the northeast corner town square lies the dominating, 72m-high Black Tower. It was built in 1553 to serve both as a bell and a watch tower. It requires you to climb 225 steps to be able to enjoy a bird’s eye view of the city. Unfortunately for us, the tower is closed on Mondays (as are many things in Czechia), which is when we visited Ceske Budejovice. Note that it costs 50 CZK to climb up and that, curiously, the ticket counter is at the top, not at the bottom of the tower.
Next to the tower is the Cathedral of St Nicholas (Katedrála sv Mikuláse). It was originally built as a church in the late 13th century and was eventually rebuilt and made into a cathedral in the late 18th century.
Strolling through the Cobblestone streets
The most fun we had in the city was simply wandering the historic old town and strolling through the various cobblestone streets near the town square. Some of the more fascinating and picturesque streets were Krajinska, Panska, and Ceska.
Panksa Street, in particular, is very scenic with its bright pastel colors.
At the very end of Panksa Street, you’ll find the Rabenstejn Tower, which dates back to the 15th century and was part of the city’s original fortifications.
Krajinská Street and Ceska Street are other cobblestone streets that run parallel to Panksa Street. Though they are perhaps not quite as photogenic as their neighbour Panska, they have their own charm and you’ll find several little cute cafes and outdoor patios.
Budweiser Budvar Brewery
The brewery was founded in 1895 and is located 2km north of the old town.
You’re probably wondering if there is any relation to the American Budweiser beer, and the answer to that is no. In fact, there has been a century-old legal dispute between the Czech brewery with the American corporation Anheuser-Busch, which produces Budweiser in the US. Today, the Budweiser Budvar beer has a Protected Geographical Indication status in Europe, meaning that this beer can only be produced in Ceské Budejovice, whereas the American brewery can’t use the trademark in most EU countries and they market their beer instead as “Bud”. On the flip side, the Czech brewery must sell their beer as “Czechvar” in certain overseas markets outside of the EU.
Brewery tours depart daily at 2 pm (also at 11 am in July and August, and less frequently from November to March).
When to Visit Ceske Budejovice
Three periods of the year are ideal to visit Cekse Budejovice. During the summer months, festivals often fill the town and the old town square. Shoulder season (May, September) is also a good time as the weather is still pleasant and there are fewer crowds and other tourists. Otherwise, December can be a great month when traditional Christmas markets take over Ottokar II Square.
Nearby Attractions
Hluboká Castle definitely feels like a fairytale castle and is without a doubt one of Czechia’s most beautiful ones. It’s a must-visit if you are in the area, and it’s only 11km northwest of Ceske Budejovice. Originally built in the 13th century in a Gothic style, the castle has gone through several renovations since, receiving its final Windsor Castle-inspired face-lift in the 19th century. You can visit the castle’s exterior, interior courtyard and gardens for free. To see the inside rooms, there are several different tours to choose from, including one that provides you with stunning views of the surrounding countryside from the castle tower.
For more information on visiting this unique village, check out our Holašovice Historic Village Travel Guide.
Holašovice, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional central European village. It has a large number of outstanding South Bohemian ‘Folk Baroque‘ style buildings from the 18th- and 19th centuries. It’s not a particularly large site, but it’s a fun place to explore for an hour or two. The village is only 15 km west of Ceske Budejovice.
For more information on visiting this unique village, check out our Holašovice Historic Village Travel Guide.
We are assuming that if you are exploring the South Bohemia region of Czechia, you will also visit Cesky Krumlov. If you aren’t sure, we highly recommend a trip to it as we can’t speak highly enough of this beautiful town. Sure it can get crowded summer middays thanks to all the day-trippers from Prague, but if you can spend at least a night here, you will quickly find that Ceske Krumlov can be quite the enchanting place.
Preparing a trip to Czechia?
You might be interested in these Czechia pages:
4-Day Itinerary in South Bohemia
Best Things to See and Do in Cesky Krumlov
Best Day Trips from Cesky Krumlov
We also highly recommend these guidebooks:
Rick Steves’ Prague & the Czech Republic
Lonely Planet’s Prague & Czechia
Photography Gear
If you like our photography, you might be interested in some of the gear we use to shoot our travel and hiking destinations.
Camera Body – Nikon Z 6ii Fx-series Mirrorless Body
Main Lens – NIKON 24-120mm F/4G ED VR AF-S
Zoom Lens – Sigma 745-306 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Polarizing filters – Urth Circular Polarizing (CPL)
Camera Tripod – K&F Concept 64-inch Camera Tripod
Mini-tripod – Lammcou Flexible Camera Tripod
Camera/hiking backpack – Vanguard Alta Rise 48 Backpack
Universal Travel Adapter – VYLEE Universal International Power Travel Plug
Other Travel Essentials
Travel Insurance
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e-Sim cards
Airalo is the world’s first and largest eSIM store with eSIM plans for 200+ countries and regions worldwide. With Airalo eSIMs, travellers can get connected the moment they land at their destination and avoid nasty data roaming charges
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Car Rentals
Discover Cars is our go-to website for car rentals. We almost always find our preferred rate there.
Transfer from Airport
Welcome Pickups is our favourite private transfer service, which you can pre-book at a fixed price. Currently available in 220 cities all over the world (mostly in Europe, but with several major cities in Asia, the Middle East and the US).
Kiwitaxi is another private transfer service – we haven’t tried it yet, but it’s currently available in a few more countries (102 as of 2024).
Hotels and Accommodations (coming soon)
Photography Prints
If you found this blog useful, you can help support our blog by purchasing low-cost digital prints. Printed physical prints are also available for purchase.
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Top Things to See and Do in Ceské Budejovice Travel Guide and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to the South Bohemian region of Czechia!
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