Čáslav: The Wonderful Small City in Czechia

I would like to introduce my hometown to you. As a long time resident, I know all the small streets and interesting stories from this little town close to Kutná Hora. Despite the fact that thanks to its proximity to Kutná Hora it is often overlooked, Čáslav is still a great destination for a one day trip or just for a stop on your way home from another cultural experience in the Czech Republic. Čáslav is a town of contrasts and I will happily guide you through it.

View from the bottom of the city walls at St. Peter and Paul’s church (source)

There are three major points that you shouldn’t miss when coming to Čáslav. The historical city centre is one of them. The original city centre is fairly small but very well preserved. It was established by Ottokar II of Bohemia in the 13th century. From those times the city has been able to keep a good portion of the city walls which are definitely worth visiting. While you are at it, you can also go to lunch at the local restaurant Vyžlovka. It may be an Italian restaurant but not many restaurants can say that they are situated inside the original city walls. Right next to the restaurants you can visit the Ottokar’s tower which is a part of the original city walls. Once you’ve finished that you can move to the town square. 

View of the town square (source)

There are many smaller monuments that you can visit:

• Plague monument – established in the 18th century among a number of other plague monuments around Europe
• Water fountain – people regularly throw coins there for good luck
• Jan Žižka statue – Did you know that Jan Žižka allegedly died in Čáslav? His alleged remains were found in the church of St. Peter and Paul.
• Richly decorated authentic houses
• The church of St. Peter and Paul – this majestic landmark is the dominant of Čáslav and you surely shouldn’t miss it, you can walk all the way to the top of the tower
• Also, the city organizes frequent markets and various cultural events here.

Exhibited Gripen (source)

The next place that you definitely shouldn’t miss is the military base. When I said that Čáslav is a city of contrasts, I meant this precise fact. While the inner city is small and pretty peaceful, outside of it you can find the biggest air force military base in the Czech Republic. The sound of pilots training with their aircraft is not a rare occurrence here and you should get prepared for that. The military base often organizes events where they showcase their equipment. You can also try out sitting in a Gripen, how cool is that? The military base is located just one stop with a local train away from the city in a small village Chotusice. While you are there you can also visit the small castle in Filipov or the museum of agricultural equipment located right outside of the city.

As I’ve said, Čáslav is a city of contrasts and its a fairly small place that you can walk through in a matter of one afternoon. It is however mostly tourist-free so you can enjoy your stroll through the picturesque streets of this city. You can include it in your journeys inspired by some of our other tips from the daily Czech Coronavirus Holiday Post.