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Castles and Chateaux

The prehistoric people living in the region left behind themselves numerous traces of fortified settlements and burial grounds. Among the most important sights from late Bronze Age is the fortified settlement at Hra­dišťský vrch near Konstantinovy Lázně, while a major Celtic settlement was found at Sedlo near Sušice. The well-preserved remnants of the massive fortifications of the former regional administration centre from the Přemysl period on a hill above Starý Plzenec are dominated by a Romanesque chapel of St Peter and St Paul from the second half of the 10th century built in the so-called "Oton" style. The picturesquely undulating countryside of the region offers views of towns and villages with numerous churches. These often are originally in the Romanesque style, but rebuilt during the Gothic and Baroque periods. A construction sight of a unique character is the Gothic church of St Mikuláš (Nicholas) in Čečovice, a bare-brick structure with valuable cut-stone details.

Cities and Towns

The cultural, political and economic centre of the region is the statutory city of Plzeň, founded by the Czech King Václav II on a rectangular construction site in 1295. Plzeň is the fourth largest city in Czech Republic. The spacious main square is dominated by the Gothic cathedral of St Bartholomew with its 102 metres tall spire and the famous stone statue of the Madonna of Plzeň. The observation gallery on the spire offers views of the whole historic centre of the city comprising a number of burgher houses in the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. Particularly valuable is the Renaissance town hall in the main square. The former fortification walls and moats were replaced by parks and public gardens full of trees, lawns and water fountains. An easy stroll through the parks will lead the visitor to the Great Synagogue, the imposing buildings of the Big Theatre of J.K. Tyl and the Museum of West Bohemia with its unique permanent exhibition of historic blunderbuss guns. Close to the main square is a Franciscan monastery including a diocese museum, and entry to the historic underground of the city - a maze of cellar corridors and shafts dug in the sandstone foundations of the original walled-in city.

Nature

The scenery of the Plzeň region is extraordinarily varied. From the mountainous regions in the Šumava and the Český les forming the natural border with Bavaria to the highlands at the foot of the Šumava to the undulating inland expanses, everywhere the visitor will find a developed country with picturesque small towns and villages, large forests, waterways and lakes. A typical feature of the region is deep river valleys; in the Šumava that of the Úhlava river, further inland the canyons of the Střela near Rabštejn and the Berounka after Plzeň. The region also comprises parts of the scenic preserves of Křivoklátsko and Slavkovský les. The countryside of the Plzeň region is very varied and a visitor can see many uniquenesses there.