City of Jindřichův Hradec

Jindřichův Hradec is a peaceful South Bohemian town with over 22,500 inhabitants and is located in countryside that gradually turns from the ponds of the Třeboň Basin into the hilly horizons of the Křemešnická Highlands. The town is located near the Austrian border, approximately 50 km north-east from Ceske Budejovice and 160 km south-east from Prague.

Jindřichův Hradec is a popular destination for tourists visiting the beautiful sights of South Bohemia and is the gateway to the Czech Canada Natural Park. This protected natural area takes its name from the character of the local landscape, which is lush with deep forests and numerous bodies of water due to the rather harsh climate.

The town is rich with numerous cultural and historical monuments and features one of the largest castle and chateau complexes in the Czech Republic. In the town centre, which still retains a pleasant royal atmosphere, visitors can find many romantic spots among the winding streets of richly decorated merchants’ houses featuring colourful facades. They can see the Baroque statue of the Holy Trinity and the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the corner of which is located right on the 15th meridian east, or they can stop off at the Jindrichuv Hradec Museum, which features the largest mechanical nativity scene in the world.

Jindřichův Hradec is not only a town of unique historical monuments but also offers many business opportunities. It is the home of the famous Czech liqueur company Fruko – Schulz, the large Kasalova pila sawmill and the highly popular local railway company, which operates the narrow gauge railway lines running from Jindřichův Hradec to Nová Bystřice and Obrataň. There is also a rich cultural life, which consists of various local cultural events, regional and national music festivals and traditional festivities, and a wide range of options for students.

Main Tourist Spots

Jindřichův Hradec is an excellent tourist destination with many cultural and historical monuments:

Castle Jindřichův Hradec

The castle is a national monument and one of the largest historical complexes in the Czech Republic. Do not miss out on the opportunity to visit the large buildings. There is an option to take a tour in a foreign language and students can obtain this at a discounted price. The castle is open to the public from April 1 to October 31.

Main Square (Náměstí Míru)

Náměstí Míru offers the unique spectacle of historic buildings where the centre of the square is dominated by the Holy Trinity sculpture. There is also the famous Langer’s House, the seat of the Gallery of Inspiration and the Old Town Hall building.

Church of St. John the Baptist (Kostel sv. Jana Křtitele)

This mysterious church is located near Vajgar Lake and the main part, the monastery, serves as an exhibition area. The best way to explore the church is a guided tour at night that takes visitors around these two buildings.

Vajgar Lake

The lake virtually divides the town into two parts and is a popular relaxation area in the heart of the town. You can hire a boat and go for a ride on the lake and maybe take in the island in the middle.

Regional Museum (Museum Jindřichohradecka)

The main attraction at the museum is the Krýza Nativity Scene, which is registered in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest mechanical nativity scene in the world. The museum is open every day, except Sundays, from 1 April to 6 January.

National Museum of Photography

The museum focuses on collections of historical, and specifically, contemporary photographs and collections of photographic techniques. In addition to the exhibition, there is also the option to enrol in a photography course or to have your photo taken in the museum’s photo studio wearing hired historical costumes in front of a hand-painted historical background (this service is only available on selected dates).

House of Tapestries

The House of Tapestries builds on more than one hundred years of existence of a tapestry workshop in Jindřichův Hradec. There are permanent exhibitions dedicated to the traditional technology of hand weaving. If you are interested, you can also participate in a course in textile crafts.

The House is open every day except Monday from April to December.

You can find more information here:

Transportation

Direct bus lines connecting Prague and Jindřichův Hradec regularly depart from Florenc bus terminal, Prague. The exact ticket price depends on the selected bus company; a ticket costs approximately 130 CZK and it is not necessary to buy it in advance. You can buy a ticket from the driver on a “first-come, first-served” basis. The frequency of the bus connection is about six times a day. The journey is direct without any change and takes approximately two and a half hours.

Trains depart from the main railway station in Prague. A one-way train ticket costs approximately 220 CZK and it is not necessary to buy a ticket in advance. You can buy a ticket at the cash desk. Jindrichuv Hradec is operated only by the Czech Railways Company with a frequency of twelve times a day. You need to take a train which goes to České Budějovice (track 220) and change trains at Veselí nad Lužnicí train station (2 hours’ drive from Prague; track 225). The journey takes approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Jindřichův Hradec has regular bus and train connections to all major cities in the South Bohemian Region and the surroundings (e.g. Nová Bystřice, Dačice, Telč, Jihlava, Pelhřimov, Tábor, Třeboň, České Budějovice). It also has a regular direct connection to the two largest Czech cities – Prague and Brno. The bus station and train station are in close proximity.

Jindřichův Hradec Region and the Surroundings

Jindřichův Hradec is located in the beautiful countryside in the east of the South Bohemian Region. The countryside is typical of the ponds of the Třeboň basin, the deep forests of the Czech Canada protected area, and the hilly horizons of the Křemešnická Highlands. If you are a fan of walking trips or cycling, do not hesitate to explore the beautiful nature available to you in the Jindřichův Hradec Region.

There are also many attractive tourist destinations in the region and the nearby surroundings. We can recommend the most attractive ones:

  • Červená Lhota Castle (17 km)
    • one of the most famous and romantic Czech castles, located in the middle of a lake on a rocky island
    • more information: http://www.zamek-cervenalhota.eu/en/
    • transport: bicycle, bus (Jindřichův Hradec – Deštná – Červená Lhota)
  • Třeboň (24 km)
    • a beautiful historical town famous for its castle and spa resort, surrounded by well-preserved nature with dozens of ponds
    • more information: http://www.mesto-trebon.cz/
    • transport: bicycle, bus (Jindřichův Hradec – Třeboň)
  • Landštejn Castle (28 km)
    • an immaculately preserved castle structure, which was built in the early 13th century
    • more information: http://www.hrad-landstejn.eu/en/
    • transport: bicycle, bus (Jindřichův Hradec – Landštejn; Jindřichův Hradec – Slavonice – Landštejn)
  • Slavonice (37 km)
    • a historical town famous for its traditional medieval renaissance city centre with sgraffito covered buildings
    • more information: http://www.slavonice-mesto.cz/
    • transport: bus (Jindřichův Hradec – Slavonice; Jindřichův Hradec – Dačice – Slavonice)
  • Dačice (37 km)
    • a town with a small chateau complex, notable as the home of the sugar cube, which was invented there in 1843
    • more information: http://www.dacice.cz/turist-service/sights/
    • transport: bus (Jindřichův Hradec – Dačice)
  • Telč (41 km)
    • a town with a 17th-century Renaissance chateau and a unique complex of well-conserved Renaissance and Baroque houses preserved by UNESCO
    • more information: http://www.telc.eu/lang/en
    • transport: bus (Jindřichův Hradec – Telč)
  • Pelhřimov (42 km)
    • a town known as the “Gateway to the Highlands”; home to the popular Museum of Records and Curiosities
    • more information: http://www.pelhrimovsko.cz/en/
    • transport: bus (Jindřichův Hradec – Pelhřimov)
  • Tábor (45 km)
    • an old medieval town built around Jordan Lake, which is the oldest reservoir of its kind in Central Europe
    • more information: http://www.taborcz.eu/EN/
    • transport: bus (Jindřichův Hradec – Tábor), train (Jindřichův Hradec – Veselí nad Lužnicí – Tábor)
  • Jihlava (60 km)
    • the oldest mining town in the Czech Republic, nowadays the centre of the Vysocina Region (The Highlands)
    • more information: http://tic.jihlava.cz/en/
    • transport: train (Jindřichův Hradec – Jihlava)