Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic

Ceske Budejovice is the capital of Southern Bohemia, which is known to beer lovers around the world by the German name Budweis. This is no coincidence, as this town produces the mild golden drink, Budweiser beer.

Located where the rivers Malše and Vltava flow into each other, close to the Austrian border. Ceske Budejovice is a town with a special atmosphere of prosperity. The town's rise has gone through several stages. Initially, wealth came from the salt trade, followed by the silver mines. Ceske Budejovice was a purely Catholic town, but this did not stop the Hussite wars on its territory, but again the town won the patronage of the Habsburgs during the Thirty Years' War. Ceske Budejovice experienced a devastating fire in 1641 that destroyed most of the town's buildings. It took decades to reach that prosperity known since the 16th century.

There is no town in Bohemia with a larger square than that of Ceske Budejovice. This is the town square Namnesti Przemysl Otakara II, located in the center of the medieval street plan. This delightful urban ensemble is not just a square with arcades and buildings of its own value.

The heart of Ceske Budejovice's town square is the spectacular balustraded fountain from 1727, reflecting the masterful work of Josef Dietrich. Again, the baroque towers of the fine Town Hall rise in the square. From there, Biskupska Street leads past the white and peach-coloured former bishop's palace, where the ruins of the medieval fortifications have been preserved.

At the opposite end of Ceske Budejovice is the 72-metre-high "Black Tower", dating back to the 16th century, from the top of which a spectacular view over the town can be seen. Next to it is the Cathedral of Ceske Budejovice, which was restored in Baroque style in the 1740s.

Next to the medieval Baroque Dominican Monastery is the "Salt Storehouse" with a pediment from 1513 - a wonderful architectural example of a storehouse whispering of the Renaissance style.

Along the Malše River is the Museum of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. It is dedicated to rich collections relating to the history and nature of the region, as well as paintings and thematic exhibitions.

It is somehow impossible to produce beer in České Budějovice and not have a brewery. Of course, there is no way - the Budvar brewery is located on the road to Prague. During the one-hour tour of it, you learn a lot about Czech Budweiser beer, why it has nothing in common with American Budweiser, and how the Czech Republic is successfully dealing with the American company's attempts to gobble up the original.