The city of Tábor

Tábor is a South-Bohemian town with a rich history and many places of interest. It is closely connected with the Hussite movement and its famous representatives - namely Jan Žižka of Trocnov, a co-founder of the Hussite town.

The town of Tábor is situated in the northern part of South Bohemia on the border between the Třeboň Basin and Vlašim Uplands, 83 km to the south of the Capital of Prague, 60 km to the north of České Budějovice. Nowadays, the town of Tábor is the second largest town of South Bohemia with more than 33 thousand inhabitants and it has become one of the region's transport, economic and cultural centers. The romantic landscape around Tábor which spreads along the quiet Lužnice River is, for its abundant historical heritage and natural wonders, one of the Czech Republic's most visited regions.

In the place of an old settlement a castle and a town called Hradiště were built in the 13th century. Radical Hussites - followers and supporters of the teaching of the Catholic Church reformer Master Jan Hus - took advantage of the strategic location of the former Hradiště and brought the rest of the inhabitants from the nearby town of Sezimovo Ústí to this site. In 1420 they established a military town - Tábor - from which Tábor captains organised and led their troops on victorious campaigns. Tábor was established in an extremely good location, in the south protected by the River Lužnice and its tributary Tismenický Stream, both of which flow in deep, steep valleys. Thanks to the river, the stream, the steep valleys and an ingenious system of town fortification the Hussite town became famous for its unconquerability. After the radical Hussites were defeated in the Battle of Lipany, Tábor reconciled with Emperor Sigismund and in 1437 Tábor was promoted to a royal town. Over the centuries the town has undergone a number of construction changes, however, it has retained its medieval features. The historic centre has become a Municipal Reserve thanks to the number of surviving buildings and their layout.

Remains of the large-scale fortification system and charming quiet places in the old town have reminded us of the rich past. Tourists who do not go to Žižka Square dominated by the statue of the famous captain Jan Žižka and who do not visit the Hussite Museum whose exposition is located in the impressive interior of the late-medieval Town Hall, cannot say they know Tábor. Facades of old burgher houses which are decorated in varying architectural styles - late Gothic and Renaissance, Baroque and rococo - look charming. Many of you do not even suspect that deep cellars were dug under most burgher houses in the centre of town at the beginning of the 16th century. They were gradually interconnected and formed an ingenious labyrinth of corridors a part of which is open to the public. It is a good idea to finish a nice walk through the crooked and narrow streets of the old town at the Kotnov Tower which is the only surviving part of the former town castle. The view from the top of the tower is worth climbing all the stairs. You can see not only the historic core of the town, but also for example the nearby Baroque Church in Klokoty - a famous pilgrimage point. Right in the centre of town there is Lake Jordán, the oldest artificial water reservoir in Central Europe, which was built at the time when Columbus discovered America, in 1492.

visit the website - www.VisitTabor.eu