Discover Chotěboř

Chotěboř combines an engaging urban history with a distinctive river landscape. If you would like to combine culture and nature during your stay, you will find historic buildings here, a town museum with a clearly defined focus, and the nearby Údolí řeky Doubravy Nature Reserve. The town tells more than just the story of its present: in 1331, Chotěboř was elevated to a royal town after being granted the Jihlava town charter.

Heritage Zone, Churches, and Notable Buildings

Chotěboř’s urban heritage zone can be understood through its unusual layout. It consists primarily of a long, elongated street that widens in the middle into a regular rectangular square. The heritage zone also includes a cemetery and the Church of St. James. A Romanesque chapel previously stood on the site of today’s Church of St. James the Greater; its origins coincide with the founding of the town.

Smaller religious buildings also give the town different historical accents. The Chapel of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Václav Fiala Park is a pseudo-Romanesque and pseudo-Gothic building. It was built in 1863 according to plans by František Schmoranz. On the eastern edge of the town stands the Chapel of St. Anne. It was built in 1902 on the site of an earlier small chapel, based on a design by František Kruml in a romanticizing style.

The historic character also includes Chotěboř Baroque Chateau, built in 1701–1702. An important restriction to bear in mind when planning your visit is that the chateau is not open to the public. The Chotěboř Town Museum offers a different perspective on the town’s history. Its permanent exhibition covers the Doubrava Valley, geology, and the history of the town; the visit takes 45 minutes.

Pop Culture and Local Personalities

Chotěboř also has a cultural side beyond heritage preservation and religious architecture. The Fantazie Festival has been held since 1996 and is a traditional pop culture festival. Its program includes science fiction, fantasy, and horror, as well as games, film screenings, competitions, workshops, lectures, exhibitions, and concerts. Alongside the town’s older history, this creates an events profile that brings together a range of interests.

A connection to everyday Czech culture is provided by the artist Zdeněk Rykr, who was born in Chotěboř: he designed the packaging for the Kofila chocolate bar. Another distinctive place in the town is the Jewish cemetery, which is surrounded by a Catholic cemetery. Both examples show how different cultural traces coexist in Chotěboř.

The Doubrava Valley as a Landscape Experience

The Údolí řeky Doubravy Nature Reserve is located near Chotěboř. Its character is defined by a canyon-like wooded valley, a riverbed shaped by boulders, and rapids. Those who do not want to limit their stay to the town will find a clear landscape contrast there to the squares, churches, and museum. In the Údolí Doubravy Nature Reserve, the AOPK ČR arranged for the repair of the damaged educational trail at the end of the previous year.

For further orientation at the same level, you will also find Herálec, Nová Ves U Leštiny, Věž, Prosíčka, Olešenka, Dlouha Ves, Heřmanice and Nová Ves U Světlé.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Havlíčkův Brod.