Things to do
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Black Tower
Beside the cathedral of St Nicholas, this Renaissance bell tower has an open gallery near the top with a view over the square's roofs to the Šumava hills. A steep wooden stair of more than two hundred steps leads up, and tickets are bought at the top. It opens from April to October and closes on Mondays outside July and August.
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Budweiser Budvar Brewery
North of the centre, the state-owned brewery runs guided tours through its brewhouse and lagering cellars that end with a tasting. Tours last about seventy-five minutes and leave at fixed times in several languages. English slots are few outside summer, so book ahead. A bus or a half-hour walk links it to the square.
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Dominican Monastery
A block west of the main square, the Dominican monastery is the oldest building in the city, begun soon after its founding. Its Gothic church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary and a cloister with painted vaults open around services and concerts, with longer hours in summer. A stepped-gable salt store stands on the same small square.
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Přemysl Otakar II Square
Arcades run round all four sides of this broad market square, and the Samson Fountain stands on the cobbles at its centre. A painted baroque town hall fills one corner. Café tables spread under the arcades from spring, and a Christmas market takes over the square through December.
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South Bohemian Museum
Housed in a neo-Renaissance palace on the edge of the old town, the regional museum covers archaeology, crafts and natural history from across southern Bohemia. Displays on fishponds, glassmaking and folk costume give useful background before trips to Třeboň and Holašovice. It is closed on Mondays.
