Náměstí Svobody - Kostelní Street - St. Wenceslas Church - Old Jewish Cemetery - Příkopy Street - Karel Houra Embankment - St. Felix Church - Assumption of the Virgin Mary Church - Na Vršku Street - St. Roch Chapel - Nuželická Street - Šumava Museum - Náměstí Svobody

This route is also known as the "Golden Circuit" or the "First City Circuit." The route will take you through the historic center of the city. Along the way, you will see several historical gems such as the Sušice Town Hall, Empire Fountain, Krocín House (Hotel Fialka), St. Wenceslas Church, Capuchin Monastery with St. Felix Church, and more. During this walk, you can also visit the unique Sušice Mechanical Nativity Scene at the Šumava Museum.

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Interesting points:

Sušice's Náměstí Svobody (Freedom Square) - the historical square is the true heart and center of the city. Its current layout was established after a massive fire in 1707, which spread through the inner city and both suburbs within half an hour. The fire claimed the lives of 30 people and destroyed a significant part of the city.

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St. Wenceslas Church - a deanery church built in the mid-14th century, shortly after the construction of the city walls (its southern perimeter wall is formed by the main city wall). The church originally had two towers, but they collapsed along with part of the nave vaulting in a major fire in 1707. Afterward, only a smaller tower was rebuilt, and the church was renovated in the Baroque style. The church's wall contains tombstone slabs dating back to around 1560, belonging to local nobles and burghers. The altarpiece depicting the patron saint of the Czech Land, St. Wenceslas, dates back to 1861, and the altar features sculptures of St. Blaise, St. Procopius, and St. Erasmus from 1659. If you look closely, you'll find a cannonball embedded in the church wall (a reminder of the Thirty Years' War with the Swedes).

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Old Jewish Cemetery - one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Bohemia. It was established in 1626 and was wedged into the city walls surrounding the old town, later expanded. Burials took place here until 1873. The oldest legible tombstone dates back to 1708.

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Capuchin Monastery and St. Felix Church - founded by Emperor Ferdinand III to strengthen the Catholic faith in the region. The foundation stone was laid in 1651, and the church was consecrated by Cardinal Harrach in 1655. The construction of the monastery was not completed until 1665-1686. The church became a pilgrimage site for the entire Šumava region because shortly after its construction, Henry Hýzrle of Chodov donated a painting of the Sorrowful Virgin Mary to the church, which was considered miraculous. The monastery housed an average of 15-20 monks in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1950, the monks were expelled, and the monastery served the military for many years. The Capuchins could only return in 1993. The sundial on the south side of the church (in the garden) dates back to 1731.

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Former Trout Hatchery - Sušice's trout and grayling became so famous that they even reached the table of Emperor Rudolf II. The first report of salmon in the area dates back to 1679. Dr. Antonín Frič was instrumental in establishing the trout hatchery in Sušice. The first trout hatchery was built in Luh in 1871, a simple wooden hut. However, in 1879, it was flooded, so Dr. Frič sought a new, more suitable location for the hatchery and found it on the right bank of the Otava River, below the Capuchin Monastery. In 1881, a new facility for artificial fish breeding was established. The building still stands with numerous repairs and modifications. A commemorative plaque is installed on the building.

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Assumption of the Virgin Mary Church - the cemetery church is probably part of a larger unfinished Gothic temple from the 14th century. Its current form dates back to after a fire in 1591. The Kabát Chapel from the 15th century with a stellar vault is particularly valuable. It now houses the Ten Commandments from a demolished synagogue. Likely shortly after the church was founded, a cemetery was established in its immediate vicinity, where burials took place until 1924. After that, the tombstones were removed, and the site was transformed into a park. Stone tombstones from the 1500s were removed from the church floor in the 19th century and inserted into the church wall.

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St. Roch Chapel - used for burials of victims of the plague, beggars, and suicides.

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Šumava Museum - houses the Sušice Tin Treasure, Capuchin Library, history of match manufacturing, a rich collection of Šumava glass, and more. You will also find the Sušice Mechanical Nativity Scene here, one of the largest movable nativity scenes in the country, featuring 150 moving and 150 fixed figures depicting life in Šumava during our ancestors' time.

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Services in the area:

  • Sušice - cafés, confectioneries, and restaurants on the square
  • Sušice Information Center - located on the square.

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