Discover Protivín: Museums, Nature and Family Experiences

Protivín combines vivid cultural history with unusual family experiences and landscapes for active days. If you are planning a trip to South Bohemia, you can discover a zoological museum, historical exhibitions, a crocodile zoo and the 23-km-long NS Blanice educational trail here. The area between Protivín and the Písek Mountains also offers its own natural highlight with its ponds.

Culture and History in Protivín

Protivín’s information centre includes a zoological museum with osteological specimens and dermoplastics of reptiles, monkeys, rhinoceroses and giraffes. The same information centre also houses a permanent exhibition featuring collages, prologues and chiasmages by the artist Jiří Kolář, who was born in Protivín.

In Protivín’s square stands the Church of St Elizabeth, completed in 1662 in the Early Baroque style. Another historical highlight is the brewery in Protivín, founded in 1598. The Památník města Protivína presents modern historical exhibitions on the history of Protivín and its surroundings, including the history of the brewery and the railway. The “Exotická příroda” exhibition complements this offering with dioramas of rainforest, savannah, desert and the depths of the sea.

Experiences for Curious Families

The Krokodýlí ZOO Protivín offers the educational experience programme “Poznej dokonalý výtvor evoluce – Seznam se s krokodýlem”, which introduces visitors to crocodiles. At Království času, you can see more than 1,200 clocks, wristwatches and alarm clocks.

Království času includes a watchmaking workshop for children. Visitors can make models of alarm clocks, wristwatches or hand puppets, among other things. There is also an outdoor playground in an enclosed garden. The Památník města Protivína offers interactive elements in its exhibition that also appeal to younger visitors. This makes it possible to combine cultural sightseeing with practical and playful activities.

Hiking, Cycling and Ponds

The NS Blanice educational trail is 23 km long and is suitable for walking, full-day family trips and cycling tours. The walking time for family trips is 4–5 hours, while the cycling time is approximately 2.5 hours. The different timings help you compare the route according to your preferred itinerary for the day and plan accordingly.

The NS Blanice trail can be started in Protivín at the bus stop in the square in front of the museum or in front of the railway station. However, the official starting point is in the passageway of the Protivín Museum. An introductory information panel and a map of the educational trail are located there. Between Protivín and the Písek Mountains lies a group of 13 ponds; 10 of them are protected as the “Zelendárky” natural monument.

Practical Information for Your Stay

Protivín’s information centre provides information about transport connections, accommodation, dining, cultural and sporting events, and sells maps for cyclists. If you would like to combine your stay with a special event, also take note of Protivín’s traditional town celebrations: they take place every year on the last weekend of August.

If you would like to compare more destinations, you can also visit Přeštěnice, Skály, Zvíkovské Podhradí, Mišovice, Tálín, Putim, Okrouhlá and Cizova.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Písek.