Central Bohemia

Central Bohemia offer rich and various nature beauties. The area of heart of Bohemia offers everything what you can desire. Stream of Litavka, Berounka and Sázava rivers often meander through the deep valleys, surrounded by strips of deep woods, similarly as Vltava River in the southern part of Central Bohemia or Jizera in the north. They create in many places the narrow canyons, crating the unrepeatable atmosphere. Landscape relief is sketched in by many creeks and small rivers. Vast lowland of Polabí, Středočeská pahorkatina and spurs of Českomoravská vrchovina, Rakovnická pahorkatina or Křivoklátská vrchovina and foothills of Džbán pass in the south to ridges of Brdy mountain chain. Kokořínsko and the north of Mladá Boleslav area boast about the typical bizarre sandstone formations.

The region of Křivoklát with valuable complexes of mixed forest is not only the nature preserve but also UNESCO biosphere preserve. Not far from it there is another protected area Český kras (Czech karst) where you can visit the biggest karst formation in Bohemia with vast system of Koněprusy caves.

Kutná Hora

The history of Kutná Hora is inseparably connected with mining of silver ores. Local mining area rich in uncommon richness has become one of the largest sources of silver in medieval Europe. Already at the end of 13th century Kutná Hora provided about one third of European production of this metal. Later on Kutná Hora has become the centre of mintage of so called Prague cents, which belonged to the strongest European currencies. Thanks to its richness Kutná Hora represented the second most significant town of Czech Kingdom. It was competition of capital of Prague not only in the fields of economy and politics, but also in the area of culture.

St. Barbara Cathedral is the unique work of mature and late-Gothic architecture, the building of which started before the end of 14th century. In the interior there is the unique gallery of late-Gothic and renaissance paintings from 15th century preserved.

Vlašský dvůr (Vlašský yard) is a culture sight, creating the close complex of buildings from the turn of 13th and 14th centuries. From the beginning of 15th century it was also the temporary seat of Czech kings. King Wenceslas IV. used to stay here very often and thereof he had two floors and a chapter made and he set up the royal palace directly in the mint in 1400.

Karlstejn Castle

Mature-Gothical castle of Karlštejn, established in 1348 takes absolutely extraordinary position among the Czech castles. It was built by the Czech king and Roman emperor Charles IV. as the place for depositing the royal treasures, first of all the collections of saint relics and the imperial crown jewels. Charles IV. was already staying in the castle in 1355, he was supervising the completion of its construction and the interiors decorating, mainly of the castle chapels. The building of castle was completed only in 1365, when the Chapel of saint cross in big tower was consecrated.

Konopiste Chateau

Konopiště chateau, the forerunner of today’s chateau was originated probably at the end of the 13th century, when it was the base of the leader of one of the aristocratic party, Prague bishop Tobias from Bechyně (from the family of the lords from Benešov). It was owned by family Šternberk from 1327. King Wenceslas IV.was kept in prison by them here for a short period of time. During Hussite wars the castle was standing at the side against Tábor. Since 1590 Konopiště had changed the owner relatively often, mainly due to indebtness. The castle was plundered by Swedes during Thirty Years´ War which contributed to the joyless condition of the manor house. At the beginning of 18th century the castle was acquired by family of Vrtbové who carried out here huge changes, in consequence of which the castle was changed to a comfortable chateau. The architect F.M. Kaňka and sculptor M.B. Braun contributed to the adaptations. In 1887 the chateau was bought by the future Austrian crown prince, František Ferdinand d`Este.

Mladá Boleslav

History of Mladá Boleslav is longer than one thousand years. However we know very little about the beginnings of the original Slavic fortified settlement, from which the today´s town, having tens of thousands inhabitants has came up. It is only possible to state that the region along Jizera River – today´s area of Mladá Boleslava – has become the part of Bohemia of Přemysl approximately in the second half of 10th century. In that time the fortified settlement was established on the rock above confluence of Klenice and Jizera, which become the centre of the entire Pojizeří. The fortified settlement was named after the duke Boleslav from family of Přemyslovci. All the buildings were wooden, only in the area of today´s castle there is the archaeological evidence of stone building.

The focus of economic development in the second half of 19t century was transferred from manufactory to the factory production. The entrepreneur Ignác Klinger changed the textile factory for a modern business after 1881. In 1895 Václav Klement and Václav Laurin established the factory production of safety bikes from which the first motorbike “Slávia” originated in 1898 and in also the first car in 1905. The new factory became soon the crucial economic phenomenon in the town. Also other companies originated – distillery in 1967, later on the factory for accumulators, etc. The economic development was also supported by arising railway system. The expansion was also demonstrated by the construction of public buildings from the sixties – Municipal office, Grammar School, Craft School, Agrarian School, Military quarters, local hospital. In 1991 Volkswagen took over the former state enterprise Škoda and changed totally the appearance of the factory complex and character of cars production as well.

Příbram

Příbram belongs to the well-know historical royal mining towns. It is situated at the foot of Brdy, 60 km south-west from Prague. The oldest written document about Příbram comes from 1216, when it was bought by Bishop Ondřej.

Local Marian chapel Svatá Hora (Saint Mountain) is famous in the wide surroundings as the place of pilgrims in Bohemia, plentifully visited by crowds of people, but also by aristocracy and monarchs. Pilgrims became the main livelihood of the local citizens.

Příbram has become world-famous as the place of the most profitable silver mining in the entire Hapsburg monarchy and it became the centre of mining institutions and in the middle of 19th century the centre of mining academy as well. Middle of 20th century represented the new inversion in history of Příbram. The beginning of uranium era in the shadow of Cold War started the new epoch of local mining – quick development of uranium mining and thus new growth of town significance.

Photographs Central Bohemia