Horšovský Týn: Castle, castle park and city history

When planning a trip to Horšovský Týn, there are several themes to choose from: architectural history with clearly dated milestones, a castle park, views and an annual festival. The town has been an urban conservation area since 1953. The state-owned castle and chateau of Horšovský Týn are among its most significant sights. If you are looking for a hotel in Horšovský Týn, you can plan your trip around whether culture, walking trails, views or an event at the end of July is your main focus.

Castle, chateau and city history

The castle was founded in the mid-13th century as a Gothic castle and belonged to the bishops of Prague. After the fire of 1547, it was soon rebuilt as a monumental Renaissance castle under John the Younger of Lobkowicz. The sequence of its medieval founding and reconstruction after the fire marks two distinct chapters in the castle’s history. The Church of Saints Peter and Paul is also located on Republic Square and has an observation tower. Alongside the castle, the town’s cultural attractions therefore include a religious building and another viewpoint.

Castle park: history and walking trails

The castle park covers nearly 40 hectares and is freely accessible from the town. Its design changed over several centuries: in 1550, it began as a Renaissance garden modeled on Italian examples; in 1880, it was redesigned as an English park; and in 1905, it was transformed into a landscape park. These dates make the park’s development through three clearly distinct design phases easy to follow.

There are two ponds in the lower part of the castle park, with walking paths around them. This gives you a practical way to plan time outdoors alongside the historical attractions. The park offers different perspectives: its history reflects changing garden design, while the ponds and paths define its lower section.

Educational trail, views and cycling route

The Královská rokle educational trail is one of the sights of Horšovský Týn. As an educational trail, it offers something different from the historic buildings and the castle park. The observation tower on Šibeniční vrch is open to the public year-round, free of charge. From there, the view takes in Horšovský Týn and its immediate surroundings, as well as the entire Šumava Mountains and Český les. The panorama thus encompasses both the town and its nearby surroundings, as well as the two named mountain ranges.

A cycling route near Horšovský Týn is numbered 2141 and is approximately 100 kilometers long. Its approximate length gives you a concrete point of reference if you include cycling in your trip plans. The cycling route and the walking paths in the lower castle park offer very different distances: an approximately 100-kilometer tour on the one hand, and paths around two ponds on the other.

Anenská pouť and when to visit

Anenská pouť takes place every year at the end of July. If you want to visit for the festival, factor this recurring date into your hotel search and travel dates. You can either plan your trip around the festival or focus on the cultural sights, castle park and views at another time.

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