Buchau: Discover History, Castles and Cycling

History and Historic Centre of Buchau

Buchau (Bochov) combines a long local history with tangible traces in the town centre and opportunities for culture and cycling. The town was founded as a mining settlement in the first half of the 14th century; the first written mention dates from 1325. These key facts give Buchau a clear historical context and make the town’s development an important part of the travel experience.

In the middle of Bochov’s market square stands a Baroque sandstone statue of Saint John of Nepomuk from the first half of the 18th century. Another historical trace is the interior of the church, which dates from the Baroque period around 1750.

The Bochov Information Centre provides information about the town as well as cultural and sporting activities. This is particularly helpful for planning your trip if you want to combine cultural discoveries with active days without committing the focus of your stay in advance to just one type of experience.

Castles and Regional Culture

Hartenštejn Castle is a late Gothic artillery fortification with battery towers. The term refers to a fortification whose towers were designed for the use of artillery. Hartenstein also features an exhibition on the findings about the history of the site gained through more recent archaeological research. The exhibition complements the military architecture with archaeological insights into the site’s history, thereby combining architectural and historical perspectives during the exploration. Hartenstein was reopened to the public in 2016 after a ten-year restoration.

The wider regional surroundings of Bochov include the Zřícenina Lina ruins, Loket Castle and the Novy Dvur and Schlackenwerth monasteries. These destinations broaden the view of the region’s cultural history if you would like to include further historical sites beyond the immediate town centre.

The mountains Andělska Horá, Homolka, Svěrák and Uhelný vrch are located around Bochov. These landscapes add another aspect of the region to the historical destinations and cycling routes.

Cycling Around Buchau

Several signposted routes are available for active days. The signposted cycling route 2233 between Březina and Nežichov runs through Bochov. The signposted cycling route 2279 between Polom and Ratiboř also runs through Bochov. In addition, the Bochov–Kozlov–Mirotice–Německý Chloumek–Bochov circuit is suitable for road bikes and trekking bikes. The two connections run through Bochov between two locations each, while the circuit returns to Bochov. Thus, two connections between locations differ from a circuit that starts and ends in Bochov.

For further exploration, you can also visit Údrc.

For the overarching travel overview: Karlovy Vary District.

More Destinations

More places within the same destination:

Theusing, Gottesgab, Breitenbach, Sankt Joachimsthal, Luditz, Abertham, Grasengrün.