The best city hikes and walks around Klatovy

The Chapel of the Apparition of the Virgin Mary (Kaple Zjevení Panny Marie) was built in 1696 on the site where the Hirsperk couple's cottage previously stood. This small house had housed the image of the Virgin Mary, which in 1685 became the source of the miracle of the bloody sweat on the forehead of the Mother of God, thus establishing Klatovy as an important pilgrimage destination. To the right of the entrance are statues of Saint Wenceslas and the Virgin Mary.

The center of Klatovy is the square marketplace (officially Peace Square, náměstí míru), surrounded by historic buildings, overlooked by the city's landmark, the Black Tower. In the middle of the square stands a, also square, fountain. Even before the city was founded, a market settlement existed somewhat north of here (first mentioned in 1253). The city was then founded in 1260 by the Bohemian King Přemysl Otakar II. The "Gate to the Bohemian Forest" initially had a regular, chessboard-like layout and was surrounded by walls from the 13th and 14th centuries. Today, around 22,000 people live in Klatovy.

The Catacombs of Klatovy, as the crypts under the Jesuit church are called today. They were created with the construction of the church from 1656 to 1676 and were intended to serve as a burial place for members of the Jesuit order and its patrons. Between 1676 and 1783, over 200 deceased were buried here. In 1784, Emperor Joseph II banned burials in crypts. The bodies, laid on wood shavings in oak coffins, were covered with hops. Each coffin was marked with a lead plaque. The air, channeled into the crypts by a sophisticated ventilation system, gradually dried out the bodies, mummifying them. Each mummy weighs eight to ten kilos today. Today, visitors can see thirty mummified bodies in the Catacombs of Klatovy. A climatologist takes care of the climatic conditions in the crypts.

The Roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception and St. Ignatius (Jesuit Church) was built from 1656 onwards on the initiative of the Jesuit order and with the support of noble patrons in the Baroque style. The first mass was celebrated in 1675, but the construction of the church extended over more than a century. Significant architects and artists such as Carlo Lurago, Giovanni Domenico Orsi, Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, and Jan Hiebel contributed significantly to the design of the building. The church acquired its present appearance in 1817.

For centuries, it has been tradition for the tower keeper from the top of the Černá věž not only to watch over the city and its surroundings, but also to announce the time to the residents with trumpet calls. To this day, the trumpet signals can be heard every full hour. However, they now come from a tape recording. Until 1962, tower keeper Antonín Kubík, whose family had held the position for generations, performed this duty. Since the last real tower keeper retired, the melody - recorded by Kubík himself - has been played from tape, every full hour between 9 PM and 2 AM, in all four directions.

The late Gothic bell tower with clockwork and observation platform at Náměstí Míru (Peace Square) stands right next to the Renaissance town hall. It is a distinctive landmark of the city. The tower rises 81.6 meters high. The observation platform is at a height of about fifty meters and is accessible via 226 steps. In 1547, the then flourishing royal town commissioned the Italian architect Antonio de Sala to build the tower. He was to build it not only for defense purposes, but also as a testament to the city's wealth. In 1557, the tower was finished. In 1583, a bell was hung. It is so heavy that it can only be swung by two men.

The "Okrouhlice" city tower from the 16th century was part of the medieval fortifications of Klatovy. It is now freestanding in Vrchlického sady park in the city center, which was built from 1843 to 1845 on the filled-in moats and demolished walls.

The historic district house (Okresní dům) from 1905 is used today as a primary school. The building, designed by architect Rudolf Štech, dates from the Art Nouveau era. It fascinates above all with the ornamental details of its facade and the relief of the Czech lion.