Žár: Local History, Pond Landscape and Routes

Žár is characterized by its historically preserved street-village layout and the nearby Žárský rybník. Several routes also pass through the village, whose history includes clearly distinguishable dates. When planning a stay, visitors can therefore consider the village’s historic features, its pond landscape and the different route profiles as separate topics.

Street Layout and Local History

The historically preserved street layout follows the course of a street village established along the original provincial road. The settlement pattern itself thus serves as a historical point of reference: not only individual buildings, but also the layout of the village is part of its character.

The first written mention of Žár dates from 1186. The present-day name Žár is attested for the village in 1221. These dates mark different points in history: 1186 refers to the first written mention, while 1221 is when the present-day name is attested.

Part of the administrative area of the municipality of Žár lies within the Novohradsko Landscape Heritage Zone. This designation applies to that part of the area, not to the entire administrative area.

The Žárský rybník and Its History

The Žárský rybník lies close to the village of Žár, in the area of the Vitorazská trade route between Trhové Sviny and Nové Hrady. The pond was mentioned as early as 1221. With an area of around 120 ha, the Žárský rybník is the largest pond in Novohradsko.

An island in the pond is also connected with the village’s history: the Buquoy family had a summer palace built there, which has since disappeared. This episode adds an earlier pond-side structure to Žár’s historical associations, although the summer palace no longer exists.

Compare and Plan Routes

Pamětí Slepičích hor and Pamětí Novohradska are both 54 km circular routes, but differ in their stops and focus. Pamětí Slepičích hor has 21 stops. Pamětí Novohradska is an educational circular route with 19 stops and information boards about the history of each place. When comparing them, therefore, consider not only their identical distance, but also the number of stops and how local history is presented.

Specific information is also available about the surface of Pamětí Novohradska: around 90% of the route runs along paved asphalt roads; some sections are suitable only for mountain bikes and trekking bikes. Check the route conditions before setting out, as local conditions may change.

On the Žár–Žumberk section, Pamětí Novohradska overlaps with the Slepičích hor route. The Za Janem Žižkou na Trhovosvinensku route and the Za pivem na Trhovosvinensku route also pass through Žár. These route names offer additional points of reference for planning, but they do not indicate the same route or range of stops.

Discover more destinations: Budweis, Betschitz, Nuzice, Schmiedgraben, Svatý Jan Nad Malší, Mladošovice, Lipnice, Záboří U Českých Budějovic.

For the wider travel overview: Okres České Budějovice.