Rakovník – Culture, Brewing Tradition and Cycling Routes

Rakovník between Urban History and Landscape

The town offers points of interest for a variety of holiday experiences: you can explore exhibitions and religious buildings, learn about the regional brewing tradition, or experience the surrounding area on walks and cycling tours. When looking for accommodation, this makes it possible to first define the desired balance of culture, activity and relaxed exploration.

Museum, Gallery and Notable Buildings

The main building of the Rakovník Museum combines permanent exhibitions, two exhibition halls for temporary projects, a lecture hall and an outdoor geological exhibition in Parkan. Another cultural highlight is the Rabas Gallery, with a permanent exhibition of works by landscape painter Václav Rabas. Works on display include “Vzpomínka na maminku” and “Včelařské zátiší”. The juxtaposition of the outdoor geological exhibition and the landscape painter’s works offers two different ways of engaging with the surrounding area: through natural history and through art.

The religious buildings also tell different chapters of the town’s history. The Church of St Bartholomew is a late Gothic, three-nave stone building with a richly decorated interior. The bell tower standing beside it was built in 1495 and houses two bells. The Rakovník Synagogue was built in 1763, is a Jewish cultural monument and now serves as a concert hall. The 46-metre-high Vysoká brána also serves as a viewpoint today.

Lechnýřovna is a protected cultural monument. The building is used as an exhibition space and offers opportunities for lectures and other events for a limited number of visitors. In this way, smaller, focused cultural venues complement the larger exhibition offerings.

Cycling and Nature Experiences

For an active day, the 14-kilometre Rakovník–Křivoklát cycling route starts at Husovo náměstí in Rakovník. It follows the Rakovnický potok along an easy route that is also suitable for families with children. The precise length and fixed starting point make it easier to plan and navigate an excursion.

The natural landscape and its paths around Rakovník are suitable for walks and cycling tours. Those interested in different forms of cycling can also take part in Rakovnické cyklování, a cycling event held in Rakovník for road, off-road and recreational cycling.

Brewing Tradition and Events

Local history includes a brewery founded in 1454, where Bakalář beer is still brewed today. The brewery’s history and amateur theatre represent different cultural highlights: craft tradition on the one hand and a national amateur theatre event for children on the other. Another cultural highlight is Popelka Rakovník, a national showcase of children’s amateur theatre hosted by Rakovník. The range therefore extends from regional craft tradition to an event centred on the performing arts.

Discover More Destinations

If you would like to explore more places from Rakovník, you can also include Panoší Újezd, Přerubenice, Nové Strašecí, Kroučová, Chotěšov, Nový Dům, Lašovice and Krakovec as part of your further research.

For the broader travel overview: Rakovník District.