Bezdružice: Trails, Railway and Castle

Bezdružice combines railway tradition, trails through the landscape and cultural history into a destination offering distinctly different types of experiences. The Bezdružická local railway, the “Údolím Úterského a Nezdického potoka” circular trail and the castle above the town square each offer their own way of discovering the town. The townscape is complemented by glass art, historic religious buildings, a Jewish cemetery and Zaječí rybník in the surrounding area.

Railway Tradition and Railway Museum

The Bezdružická local railway has run from Pňovany via Konstantinovy Lázně to Bezdružice since 1901. Nostalgic steam trains operate on the line for visitors. The Bezdružice Railway Museum offers a deeper insight into this history. It is located in a historic railway depot next to the railway station in Bezdružice and focuses on the history of railway transport in the Plzeňský kraj, particularly the Pňovany–Bezdružice line.

For a museum visit, the opening arrangements are an important difference from a freely accessible excursion destination: The Railway Museum is generally open only during special events along the line or by prior arrangement. Anyone wishing to include railway history specifically in their itinerary should take this form of visit into account.

A Circular Trail with a Regional Theme

The “Údolím Úterského a Nezdického potoka” nature trail is a 13.5-kilometre circular route along marked hiking trails. It begins and ends at Kryštof-Harant Square in Bezdružice. Its main theme is the history of milling in the area around Bezdružice, along the Úterský potok and Nezdický potok streams. The trail thus combines a clearly defined route with a specific insight into the former use of the local waterways.

Castle, Glass Art and Cultural Monuments

The Baroque Bezdružice Castle stands on a hill above the town square. Its Gothic rooms house a permanent exhibition of modern Czech glass art by students of Professor S. Libenský. The castle also houses the Muzeum české sklářské tvorby, which displays works by Czech glass artists including S. Libenský, J. Brychtová, V. Cigler, B. Eliáš, J. Harcuba, M. Karel, V. Kopecký and R. Roubíček.

The synagogue in Bezdružice has the status of an immovable cultural monument. The Jewish cemetery in Bezdružice is also known as Řešín and contains 183 gravestones, most of which date from the mid-19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The present-day church in Bezdružice was built in 1710–1711. Thus, Baroque architecture, modern Czech glass art and evidence of Jewish history stand side by side at the same destination.

Water and Cycling

In the vicinity of Bezdružice, in the direction of Řešín, Zaječí rybník offers opportunities for fishing and relaxation, as well as swimming during the summer months. For an active exploration on two wheels, the “Po kopcích, potocích a vsích Bezdružicka” cycle route begins and ends in Bezdružice. Together with the marked hiking trail, this provides two different circular-route formats: one on foot focusing on milling and one by bicycle through the towns, streams and villages of Bezdružicka.

Other Destinations

For further destination searches, you can also choose Částkov, Planá U Mariánských Lázní, Benešovice, Erpužice, Lestkov, Olbramov, Lom U Tachova and Rozvadov.

To the higher-level travel overview: Okres Tachov.