Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

270 CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp288–91 and pp292–5

F Tyl Theatre

Smetanovy sady 16. Tel 378

038 128.

This theatre (divaldo JK Tyla)

is named after Josef Kajetan

Tyl, Czech playwright and

nov elist, and a champion of

national culture in the 19th

century. This Neo-Classical-

style building was erected in

1902 and, like the National

Theatre (see p259) in Prague,

its design was intended to

symbolize and reinforce Czech

patriot ism. The figures on the

theatre’s façade are allegories

of opera and drama. The

beautiful stage curtain was

painted by Augustin Němejc.

R Franciscan Monastery and

Church of the Assumption

Františkánská.

This early-Gothic monastery

(Františkánský klášter s

kostelem Nanebevzetí) is one

of the oldest buildings in the

city. Off the lovely cloisters is

the 13th-century Chapel of

in the 1890s. It was funded by

donations from the Plzeň

Jewish community. Its archi-

tect, Rudolf Štech, designed it

in a Moorish-Romanesque

style. The syn a gogue could

acco mmodate 2,000 worship-

pers, and, the high balcony,

intended for women, could

take up to 800 people. After

World War II, the build ing and

its furnishings, including the

unique organ located above

the Torah, suffered gradual

deterioration. In 1998, it was

reopened after restoration.

R Cathedral of

St Bartholomew

See pp272–3.

P Town Hall

Náměstí Republiky. # 8am–6pm

daily.

The lovely Renaissance Town

Hall (Stará radnice) was

designed by Italian architect

Giovanni de Statio. This four-

storey edifice with its spectacu-

lar gables was built between

1554 and 1559. The interest-

ing sgraffito deco rations on

the façade are the work of J

Koul, produced between 1907

and 1912. Standing in front

of the Town Hall is the

Plague Column built in 1681.

It was erected in thanksgiving

for the fact that the plague

epidemic suffered at that time

was only mild.

P Imperial House

Náměstí Republiky 41.

Located to the left of the Town

Hall, this Renaissance edifice

(Císařský Dům), dating from

1606, played host to Emperor

Rudolph II twice. Today, it

houses the tourist information

office. The adjacent,

Pechlátowský House

(Pechlátowský dům)

was created by combin-

ing two Renaissance

buildings and adding

a Neo-Classical

façade to them.

u Great Synagogue

Sady Pětatřicátníků 11.

Tel 377 235 749. # Apr–

Oct: 10am–6pm Sun–Fri.

¢ Jewish festivals.

The world’s third

largest sacred Jewish

build ing, after the syn-

agogues in Jerusalem

and Budapest (see

p353), the Great

Synagogue (Velká

synagóga) was built

P Republic Square
The market square of Plzeň,
(Náměstí Republiky) is one of
the largest in the Czech
Republic, covering an area of
2.5 ha (6.5 acres).
Standing at its cen tre
is the Cathedral of
St Bartholomew.
The square is
fringed by a
number of beautiful
houses, with the
best-preserved
along the southern
side. Particularly
striking is the Red
Heart House (U
cerveneho srdce),
built in 1894
and sporting magnificent
sgraffito, a popular style
of wall decor. Painted
by Mikuláš Aleš, it
shows two mounted
knights in full
tournament gear.
The Archdeanery
(Arciděkanství) is
located on the west
side of the square. A
market is held in the
square every Friday.

Plzeň 7

West Bohemia’s capital was established in 1295 by
Wenceslas II at the crossroads of the main trading routes
between Saxony, Bohemia and Bavaria. Today, the city
is famous for its two main industries – Pilsner Urquell
beer, produced here since 1842, and the large Škoda
factory that has made armaments and cars since the late
19th century. Most of Plzeň’s historic sites, including the
Republic Square (Námestí Republiky) and the Town Hall,
are found on the left bank of the Radbuza.

Onion-domed twin towers of the

Great Synagogue

Plague Column on Náměstí
Republiky

A statue on

Cisařský dům