Discover Höritz: Passion Plays, History and Fairytale Creatures

If you are looking for a Czech town with vibrant traditions and unusual cultural stories, Höritz leads you to the Hořice Passion Plays, museums, a protected market square and a church that defines the townscape. The mix ranges from the history of the Passion Plays to Czech fairytale creatures, giving you several different starting points for planning your day.

Passion Plays as a cultural focal point

The Hořice Passion Plays were revived in 1992. On 18 February 2025, they were added to the national list of the intangible cultural heritage of traditional folk culture in the Czech Republic. The Museum of the Municipality and the Hořice Passion Plays presents the history of the Passion Plays as well as the history and present of Hořice na Šumavě. The museum also displays a model of the Passion Play theatre, which was built in 1893 for 1,500 spectators. This allows you to learn about the tradition both through its development and through the specific historic performance venue.

Museums, market square and church

The Museum of Historic Radios is located in the cultural centre in the heart of Hořice na Šumavě. The market square of Hořice na Šumavě is a protected heritage zone and is home to the oldest surviving medieval pillory in Bohemia, dating from 1549. St. Catherine’s Church is a 13th-century church with stained-glass windows. It is accessible year-round and can be reached from the centre of Hořice na Šumavě within a few minutes. At the same time, it shapes the characteristic panorama of Hořice na Šumavě and is visible from the municipality and from the surrounding hills in the distance.

Traditions with a character of their own

The Hořický Masopust was first held in 1993. It is based on the meeting of a Růžičková procession and a straw procession. The two processions negotiate who has the right to roam and sing in the area concerned. This detail also makes the tradition interesting for you if you want to understand regional traditions in their own distinctive form.

Wooded hill and fairytale creatures

The Pohádková rezervace is located on a picturesque wooded hill above Hořice na Šumavě. There, the caretaker looks after all endangered species of Czech fairytale creatures, thereby protecting Czech cultural heritage. If you are travelling with children, you can view this place as a fairytale counterpoint to the historic sites. The contrast between the town centre and the hill also helps you organise your personal priorities for your stay.

Höritz between the town centre and the hill

For choosing your location, the sites are clearly arranged: The cultural centre is in the centre, St. Catherine’s Church can be reached from there within a few minutes, and the Pohádková rezervace is located above the town. When looking for accommodation in Höritz, you can use these points for orientation and first decide whether the town centre or the location above Hořice na Šumavě is more worth considering for your planned mix of culture and fairytale themes.

For more travel ideas, you can also visit Sebanov, Kalsching, Dluhoste, Thurmplandles, Wettern, Lippen, Friedberg and Klení.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Český Krumlov.