I recently deleted photos from my mobile phone. I even found some forgotten photos from last summer, when I visited the small town of Bechyně for a few days. I think a few photos are worth sharing.
Bechyně is a town of about five thousand people in southern Bohemia on the Lužnice River. We are in the Czech Republic, in Central Europe.
Today it is a very quiet place used for spa purposes. Musculoskeletal diseases are treated here.
This and the following photos were taken from the other side of the Lužnice River, when I was walking through the forest and enjoying the beauty of nature.
Water, rocks, forests. What more could a tourist ask for?
The town was founded as a royal town in the 14th century. Earlier there was a royal castle, a Minorite monastery and several settlements. Permanent settlement is documented here from the Bronze Age through the Celts, Germans and Slavs. But not everyone is interested in the history.
The castle was rebuilt into a chateau in the 16th century. Nowadays it is privately owned. It is, however, open to the public and houses an exhibition on the development of the town, the surrounding region and the noble families that have changed here since the mid-14th century, when the king sold the property.
You can visit the local monastery with its church, which now belongs to the Franciscans. It is also accessible. Both the castle and the monastery were repeatedly destroyed during the wars and repeatedly repaired and rebuilt.
The most difficult periods for the town and the monastery were the religious wars in the first half of the 15th century and the Thirty Years' War in the 17th century. In both cases the town was conquered by religious fanatics who had the destruction of religious objects and buildings on their agenda.
The church on the square used to be a dominant landmark and religious centre. The church is still in use, but tourists are mainly interested in its lookout tower.
Of course, in every European city we can find many Christian religious buildings. This is a 17th-century cemetery chapel.
This church no longer serves its original purpose. Regular concerts are held here. Especially in the summer for spa guests.
In every town of any significance until the Second World War, there was a Jewish minority. There is, of course, a synagogue and the remains of the ghetto, but I find the Jewish cemetery the most photogenic.
A city, that's a lot of houses. There are well produced guides, both printed and electronic, where you can learn about each of these houses.
I was only in town for one day. I was here with my family. I separated for about an hour and a half and took pictures for my own enjoyment. You'll probably agree with me that there's a lot here worth photographing.
Today I have made just a small selection of my photographs showing the town of Bechyně. Take this article as an invitation. Maybe you will pass through South Bohemia sometime. When you see a sign that says the town of Bechyně is nearby, make a stop here.
