Tábor is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 34,000 inhabitans. It lies 100 kilometres (62 miles) south of the capital Prague, on the river Lužnice.
Sights
Though a large part of the ancient fortifications has been demolished, Tábor (or Hradiště Hory Tábor, the castle of the Tábor Hill, as it was called in the Hussite period) still preserves many memorials of its past fame. In the centre of the town is Žižka Square. Only very narrow streets lead to it; this rendered the approach to the square more difficult in times of war. Under the houses and streets is a labyrinth of tunnels. The townspeople dug cellars under their houses and these were subsequently interconnected; an approximately 500 m-long section of the tunnel system is open to the public and is a part of the Hussite museum.
In the centre of the square there is a statue of Jan Žižka, the greatest of the Hussite leaders, the Dean Church of the Lord’s Conversion on Mount Tabor, built in 1516 in the style of the Bohemian Renaissance, and the town hall, in connection with which a museum has been founded, which contains interesting relics of the Hussite period, such as the Altar Wings of Roudníky and farm carts which doubled as battle wagons. Major parts of the ancient fortifications and the ancient Kotnov tower and gate of Bechyně near the tower still exist.
Other sights:
- The first electric railway in Austria-Hungary which led from Tábor to Bechyně
- Měšice Castle – former Renaissance fortress, later rebuilt in Baroque style
- Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary – 600-year-old Roman Catholic church
- Chapel of St. Anna
- Tábor Zoo
Parks and nature
Park Pod Kotnovem
This park is placed next to Bechyňská gate and Kotnov tower – near the Old Town. Originally, it was an old cemetery but in the 19th century, it was converted into a park. Some of the gravestones remained here until present.
Husův park
The park started to form in 1871, after the train station was built. It was not reconstructed until 1991, along with some other buildings in the surroundings. The ceremonial opening of the newly reconstructed park was in 1997. At one part of this park, there stands a big monument (headstone) called “Mistr Jan Hus” by Czech sculptor František Bílek. It was built in 1928. The headstone is built from a granite base with a bronze statue of Jan Hus on it (3 meters tall), and a bronze relief board with Hus’s life events and also an imitation of Kozí Hrádek (the place where Hus preached). On the other side of the park, nearer to the train station, there is a fountain called Girl with a jug, made in 1920.
Park U Popraviště
This park is the biggest park in Tábor. As the name suggests, the park is built around a former gallows, which was used during World War II. In 1942, 156 patriots were executed by the nationalists. For these victims, a monument was built (in 1945–1950), which includes a bronze board with lions and bronze relief board with figures. The rest of the park rose at the end of 20th century. It contains sculptures, fountains, tree alleys, benches, flower patches and a playground.
Botanical garden
This botanical garden was founded in 1866, which makes it the second oldest in the Czech Republic. After its establishment, it was much bigger – about 3600 m2. It belongs to the secondary school of agriculture, which is in front of it. It contains more than 4,000 different flowers and plants. The seeds from there are sent to more than 400 places in the world. Most of the garden is occupied by an arboretum. There is a small lake and a rock garden. The three glasshouses contains cacti, succulents, orchids, carnivorous plants and many other exotic plants. The entrance is for free, only the glasshouses are paid. During the year, special exhibitions of plants are organized.
Holečkovy sady
This park was founded in the 1930s. This green ring around the historic core of Tábor is named after a famous writer and translator Josef Holeček. The look of the park is atypical. It is on a hill and it has many paths and stairs made from rocks, lined with large trees. Some smaller monuments are also there – a memorial to Josef Holeček, a white gazebo, cross and two small chapels.
Transport
Tábor is a significant transport hub. It lies on the mainline railway linking Prague with České Budějovice and Linz and local branch lines to Bechyně and Pelhřimov. The town also lies on the European route E55 and it will be connected with Prague, České Budějovice and the Czech–Austrian border with a highway after the building of the planned D3 motorway is finished.
Sport
After the 2019–20 season, the local football club FC MAS Táborsko was promoted into the second-level Czech National Football League.
Tábor is also equipped with a winter stadium. The local ice hockey club, HC Tábor, plays in the third-level ice hockey league.
Other sport facilities in Tábor include a swimming pool and the Komora sports complex.
