Located in the Sothern Bohemia, Tábor is well located for many day trips, whether you are looking for historical momuments, picturesque medieval walled towns, or endless rolling hills and forests.
For a small town with 37,000 inhabitants, Tábor is rich in history, architecture, culture, and pastoral beauty. The town is basically divided into two, old town {stare město} and new town {nové město}. The old section dates back to 1420 and has at its center Žižkovo náměsti {main square}, with a warren of narrow medieval streets radiating away. New town is basically one street lined with a collection of a few nice turn of the century buildings and many uninspired ones, but it is the main shopping area, as well as where both bus and train stations are located. The highlight of this town is absolutely old town.
TÁBOR
Hotel Nautilus lies on Žižkovo náměsti (main square) named after the great military genius Jan Žižka who was responsible for all the Hussite victories between 1420 until his untimely death in 1424 from the plague. His Hussite armies were very well organized and owe much of their success to creating the first tanks, wagons mounted with artillery, which gave them the upper hand fighting against the invading crusaders.
His great form sits at the top of the square, still keeping a watch {at least with one eye} on locals and visitors alike.
Just behind him to the left is a monument to what Žižka and his Hussite followers were fighting so hard to keep out of town, the Catholic Church. Church of the Transfiguration of Our Lord on Mt. Tábor, {Kostel Proměnění Páně na hoře Tábor} named, like the town after the mountain where the transformation of Christ took place, has like many things and sites here a multi layered history. In the same spot once stood a wooden church that looked more like a barn than a church, in the 1480’s the construction of the present church began. Because of the length of time it took to actually finish the building it contains architectural features from the late Gothic period, Renaissance gables and a gallery, a Gothic tower, and to top it all off, a Baroque dome. One of the best features of the church is the tower, for a small price you get a good little hike up the winding rock stairway and a great view of surrounding Tábor. Only open during the warmer months of the year.
Also on the square is the town hall, an excellent example of late Gothic architecture that was constructed between 1440 and 1521. It now houses the Hussite Museum, where you can find all manner of things relating to the Hussite movement in Tábor.
This is also where the entrance to the underground tunnels that run under the old town is located. Originally built in the 15th century as cellars, over the generations they expanded to create a maze of passages that go down as deep as three stories. Used for storing food and beer, they were also used as shelter from enemy attack and fire. Open during peak season for guided tours.
Radiating in all directions from the main square is the old town, a warren of narrow medieval streets that were designed to weaken any enemy attack. It is a great place to wander and discover an interesting collection of colorful houses with an amazing variety of gables, frescos, and beautiful examples of sgraffito, a technique of drawing into two layers of colored plaster. A highlight is the quiet but beautiful Mikuláš of Hus Square, on which sits a number of charming buildings including the now closed Monastery Church of the Birth of The Virgin Mary. After the defeat of the Czech protestant estates at the White Mountain battle of1621 it became a requirement of every Czech person to convert to Catholicism. The Augustinian monks were summoned and they choose this spot to build their church and begin preaching the new religion. At the beginning of the 19th century the monastery closed and the building was converted into a prison.
One end of old town is marked by Kotnov Tower and Bechyńská Gate. The tower being the only remaining part of the castle that occupied this site sometime between 1370 and 1532. Between 1612 and 1613 its remains were built into a brewery, but later to accommodate the expanding brewery, the remaining parts except for the tower were pulled down. The Gate is the only remaining town gate built in the 15th century. The Gate now houses a small historical museum with a permanent exhibition called The Life and Work of Medieval Society, and the tower can be climbed for another great view.
Just across the street from here is the park Pod Kotnovem. A beautiful walled park that was once an important and prestigious cemetery. All that remains are a few gravestones and the Cemetery Chapel of St. Filip and Jakub, which is now used for the occasional musical concerts in the summer.
Also of interest is the pilgrimage church and monastery of Klokoti, built between 1700-1730. A short walk from town its Onion domes gracefully rise above the trees making it a very special and important Baroque treasure in the country.
For plant lovers there is the Botanical Gardens, located in new town between the agriculture school and the lake, it was founded in 1866 and has seen better days, but in prime season one can still admire more than 4000 plants. Many of the plants here are grown for seed that are internationally exported.
