Tabor: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
In 1420 radical followers of the reformer Jan Hus fortified a hill above the Lužnice and named it after Mount Tabor in the Galilee. They meant it as a community of the faithful waiting for the end of days, and they built it as a fortress: crooked lanes to confuse attackers, cellars under every house. Their general, the one-eyed Jan Žižka, still stands in the square. The walk is short, about two hours with the museum, and the stream below was dammed and named Jordán.
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A short history of Tabor
The town of Tábor was founded in 1420 by the radical Hussites, who named it after Mount Tabor in the Land of Israel. They set up a community here in which, at least at first, everything was held in common, and from it they went out to war under the leadership of Jan Žižka, the undefeated commander of the Hussite revolt. In 1434 the Taborites were defeated at the Battle of Lipany, and in 1437 Tábor was granted the status of a royal town. From that period remain the large square, the winding streets, built that way to confuse enemies, and a system of cellars and tunnels beneath the town. Today Tábor is a district town in South Bohemia.
The ten best sights in Tabor
1Žižka SquareThe old town sits on a hill; leave the car below and walk up the lanes
2Hussite MuseumInside the Old Town Hall; the story of the people who founded the town
3Church of the TransfigurationClimb the tower for the view over the roofs and the Jordán lake
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4Kotnov Castle
Its round tower is open to climb, on the edge of the old town
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5Bechyně Gate
The town's last surviving gate, right beside Kotnov — see both together
6Oskar Nedbal TheatreNamed after the composer born in Tábor; check what is on that evening
7Kozí HrádekRuins in a field 6 km south, where Jan Hus lived in exile
8Beneš VillaHome of Czechoslovak president Edvard Beneš in Sezimovo Ústí, 4 km south
9Bechyně CastleOn a rock over the river, 20 km south-west — a half-day with the bridge
10Červená LhotaA red château on a rock in a pond, 25 km south-east; photogenic and small
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Tabor →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Tabor:
Free walking tours in Tabor
The town named after Mount Tabor
In 1420 radical followers of the reformer Jan Hus fortified a hill above the Lužnice and named it after Mount Tabor in the Galilee. They meant it as a community of the faithful waiting for the end of days, and they built it as a fortress: crooked lanes to confuse attackers, cellars under every house. Their general, the one-eyed Jan Žižka, still stands in the square. The walk is short, about two hours with the museum, and the stream below was dammed and named Jordán.
- Žižka Square · The statue shows Jan Žižka, the Hussite commander who, by the accounts of the time, lost his second eye in battle and went on leading the army blind. His armies fought from wagons chained into rings, a tactic the knights of Europe could not break for years.
- Hussite Museum · The museum fills the late-Gothic Old Town Hall, whose vaulted hall was designed by the master builder Wendel Roskopf in the early 16th century. Inside are the weapons, the war wagons and the chalice, the symbol of the Hussites, who demanded wine for ordinary believers at communion.
- Underground passages · The townspeople dug cellars under their houses for storage, and over time they were joined into passages beneath the square. In wartime the passages also served as shelter, and they kept the town's beer and food cool all year. Tours are guided and leave from the Old Town Hall.
- Church of the Transfiguration · The name of the church closes the circle: the Transfiguration of Jesus is placed by Christian tradition on Mount Tabor, the mountain the town is named after. The tower is open to visitors and is the best view of the whole hill and its lake.
- Kotnov Castle · Kotnov is older than Tábor: the castle stood here before the Hussites came and was built into their walls. Next to it the Bechyně Gate is the only one of the town gates still standing.
- Jordán · The dam was built in 1492, which makes Jordán one of the oldest reservoirs in Central Europe. The town drew its water from it, and it was named after the river Jordan to match Mount Tabor above it.
Down the Lužnice to Bechyně
South of Tábor the Lužnice runs in a deep, wooded valley, and the towns along it hold the rest of the story: the place where Jan Hus preached before his death, the house of a president, and Bechyně on its rock. The first electric railway of the old Austrian empire was built between Tábor and Bechyně, and it still runs. The loop is about 60 km and fills a relaxed day. Kozí Hrádek is a short walk from the car; the rest is parking and walking a few minutes.
- Kozí Hrádek · After he was banished from Prague, Jan Hus lived here in 1413 and 1414 and preached in the open air to the country people. A year later he was burned at the stake in Konstanz, and the crowds who had heard him became the core of Tábor.
- Beneš Villa · Edvard Beneš, president of Czechoslovakia before and after the Second World War, resigned after the communist takeover of 1948 and died here that September. He is buried in the garden of the villa.
- Tábor Station · The line from here to Bechyně, the Bechyňka, opened in 1903 as the first electrified railway in Austria-Hungary, built by the engineer František Křižík. The square near the station is named after him.
- Duha Bridge · Duha means rainbow, after the single concrete arch that spans the gorge of the Lužnice. It carries the Bechyňka trains and the road on the same deck, so cars and trains cross side by side.
- Bechyně Castle · The castle stands on the rock where the little Smutná river joins the Lužnice. Bechyně is also known for its pottery: a ceramics school has worked in the town since the 19th century.
- Fire Brigade Museum Bechyně · A museum of fire fighting, next to Bechyně station, with hand pumps, horse-drawn wagons and old red engines. Easy to combine with the train ride from Tábor.
Caves, gardens and a red château
Not every day on the road needs a history lesson. This one is built around children and around rain: things to touch, a cave that stays cool, animals and a sweet museum. Most of it is in Tábor itself, with two drives of 15 and 30 minutes east and south-east. Pick three or four stops; the château is the one to drive for if the weather is good.
- Chocolate and Marzipan Museum · Just off the square, it shows how chocolate is made and has scenes and figures modelled in marzipan. There is a shop at the end, and children leave sticky.
- Haunted underground · Another part of the cellars under the old town, done up as a ghost walk together with a small museum of old crafts. Lighter than the history tour and good for a rainy hour.
- Botanical Garden · The garden was founded in 1866 for the town's agricultural school, which makes it one of the oldest school gardens in the country. Glasshouses and labelled beds, between the old town and the station.
- Tábor-Větrovy Zoo · A small zoo on the southern edge of town with paths short enough for toddlers. There is a snack bar at the entrance.
- Chýnov Cave · Quarrymen breaking limestone found the cave in the 19th century, and it became one of the first show caves in Bohemia. Its walls are striped dark and light by bands of amphibolite in the marble.
- Červená Lhota · The château sits on a rock island in a pond and is reached by a stone bridge. Its bright red roof and walls give it its name, which means Red Lhota.
Getting to Tabor and getting around
- Tábor Station · On the Prague–České Budějovice line, a 15-minute walk from the old square
- Tábor Bus Station · Next to the railway station; regional buses to Bechyně and the villages
Cheap eats in Tabor
Czech lunch is meat, dumplings and sauce, and in a small town it is cheap: many pubs serve a fixed lunch menu on weekdays. For a quick bite there are sausages in a roll, kebab shops near the station, and bakeries selling koláče, round buns topped with poppy seed, curd cheese or plum jam. Prices are in Czech crowns, and cards work almost everywhere.
- Stárek v rohlíku · Hot sausage in a roll, a step off the square, about 80-120 Kč
- pekárna Planá · Koláče and rolls for the road, about 20-40 Kč a piece
- Osmanli Kebab · Kebab in pita or a box, about 140-190 Kč
- Mercado de Mexico · Burritos and tacos by Kotnov, about 150-220 Kč
- Café Budík · Coffee and cake off the square, about 60-120 Kč
- Bistro Výkvět · Light lunch on the square, about 150-250 Kč
Museums in Tabor
- Hussite Museum · The town's founding story, in the Old Town Hall; an hour or more
- Chocolate and Marzipan Museum · Small and sweet, a minute from the square
- Haunted underground and old crafts · A ghost walk and a crafts museum in the cellars; with children
- Beneš Villa · The president's house and grave, 4 km south
- Fire Brigade Museum Bechyně · Old fire engines by Bechyně station; good with children
Nature and day trips near Tabor
- Jordán · Walk the dam and the shore; swimming in summer
- Lužnice valley trail · Marked path along the river, starting under the old town
- Holečkovy sady · Wooded slope with paths and a playground below the square
- Chýnov Cave · Short guided cave east of town; bring a layer
- Botanical Garden · A quiet, free garden near the station
Things to do in Tabor with kids
- Tábor-Větrovy Zoo · Small zoo 3 km south; a morning with toddlers
- Haunted underground · A ghost walk in the cellars; for children who like a small scare
- Chocolate and Marzipan Museum · Marzipan figures and a chocolate shop
- Kotnov Castle tower · Stairs to the top of a round tower; children love it
- Bechyňka train · Ride the old electric line to Bechyně and over the Duha bridge
Where to eat in Tabor
- Budvarka u Zlatého lva · Czech pub food and Budvar beer on the square; mains about 220-350 Kč
- Beseda · Restaurant on the square; svíčková and goulash, about 200-320 Kč
- Škochův dům · Restaurant in an old house behind the town hall, about 200-350 Kč
- U dvou koček · Pub-restaurant in the lanes, about 180-300 Kč
- Kozlova U Františka · A local pub on Křižík Square; beer about 50-60 Kč
- Indická restaurace Tandoor · Curries on the square if you want a break from dumplings, about 200-300 Kč
Frequently asked questions about Tabor
What is there to see in Tabor?
The top sights in Tabor are Žižka Square, Hussite Museum and Church of the Transfiguration. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Tabor?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Tabor without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Tabor?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Tabor, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The town named after Mount Tabor.
How do you get to Tabor and get around?
The main ways are Tábor Station and Tábor Bus Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Tabor, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Tabor that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Tabor for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.