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Region of Plzeň – Attractive for Visitors and Investors

The Region of Plzeň is located in the south west of the Czech Republic, and its 7 561 sq. km of land area make it the third largest region in the Czech Republic. The region’s seven districts (Domažlice, Klatovy, Plzeň-město, Plzeň-jih, Plzeň-sever, Rokycany and Tachov) are territorial units of greatly differing landscape characters, numbers and compositions of inhabitants, economic potentials, sizes, and population densities.

Statistical Data

Source: Czech Statistical Office

Economic Potential

Mineral deposits, which represent basic economic potential for the development of the manufacturing industry, are mainly concentrated in the inner parts of the region (the Plzeň area). The deposits are mostly of hard coal, refractory and ceramic clays, and construction stone. The foothills of the Bohemian Forest hold deposits of limestone. The region has relatively favourable conditions for agriculture. Agricultural land takes up approx. 50.3% of the region’s overall area (68.1% of that is arable land). Forestry is characterized by ample natural sources of wood. Forests take up 39.6% of the region’s overall area (mainly owing to the wooded areas in the Bohemian Forest, Upper Palatine Forest and Brdské highlands). According to the registry of economic entities, there were 150 thousand economic entities on record in the region at the end of 2011. The majority of the region’s economic entities (39.9%) have their place of business in the district of Plzeň-město. An important role in the employment rate of the Plzeň region is played by the 50 entities with more than 500 employees. 20 of those employ more than 1000 people.

Important food-processing enterprises in the Region of Plzeň include: Plzeňský Prazdroj, a. s., founded in 1843, the largest Czech exporter of beer (it exports to more than 50 countries of the world), which is a part of the international group, SABMiller plc, the second largest brewery company; Stock Plzeň, a. s., traditional producer of spirits, currently the largest producer of spirits in the Czech Republic; Bohemia Sekt Českomoravská vinařská, a. s., in Starý Plzenec, an important wine producer. Engineering is an important industry in the region – it is usually associated with the Škoda brand. Main products include equipment for classical and nuclear power engineering and the petrochemical industry, metallurgical and forge products, heavy-machining equipment, rolling-mill equipment, equipment for sugar-cane processing, hydraulic and vulcanization presses, transmissions, railway stock, trolleybuses, complete electrical drives. Companies also develop their own research. Other important industrial enterprises that influence the region’s economy include the following: DIOSS Nýřany, a. s., which is oriented at sheet-metal and pipe products; Okula Nýrsko, a. s., specializing mainly in manufacturing plastics; LASSELSBERGER, s. r. o, which represents the ceramics industry. The ceramics industry consists of the following firms: Chlumčanské keramické závody, Keramika Horní Bříza, Rako Rakovník, Cemix Čebín and Calofrig Borovany.

The location of the Plzeň region makes it attractive for foreign investors. Foreign investments are dominated by the Japanese plant, Panasonic AVC Networks Czech, s. r. o., which manufactures flat-screen displays. Other important foreign firms include YAZAKI Wiring Technologies Czech, s. r. o., which manufactures components for the automotive industry, VISHAY ELECTRONIC, s. r. o., which manufactures electronics parts, BORGERS CS, s. r. o., which manufactures plastic products, MD ELEKTRONIK, s. r. o., which manufactures cable connectors, and Daikin Industries Czech Republic, s. r. o., which manufactures and services industrial cooling and air-conditioning equipment.

Euroregion-inspired cross-border cooperation with neighbouring Bavaria helps to reduce social and economic differences. The European programme for the support of cross-border cooperation is used within the Plzeň region by the districts of Domažlice and Klatovy as a part of the Euroregion Šumava and by the district of Tachov as a part of the Euroregion Egrensis.

Tourist Trade

The region has favourable conditions for the tourist trade. The town of Plzeň offers many cultural monuments. However, the town’s historical underground is also interesting. It extends to approx. 20 km, which makes it one of the largest in central Europe. One of the interesting things about the natural environment around Plzeň is the Bolevec system of ponds – a unique technical and landscaping late-Gothic work from the 15th century. There is a dense network of recreational and tourist paths. Other often-visited places include the zoological and botanical garden in Plzeň and the hills in the vicinity of Plzeň that have lookout towers – Krkavec, Chlum and Sylván. The region’s cultural monuments include the Manětín baroque château, monastery in Plasy (national cultural monument), ruins of the Radyně and Buben Gothic castles, Kaceřov renaissance château, ruin of the Rabštejn nad Střelou castle, Horšovský Týn renaissance château, Švihov water castle, Kozel château, Nebílovy baroque château, Lužany château, monastery in Kladruby, Kašperk castle, ruin of the Libštejn Gothic castle and many others. The town of Domažlice and its traditional annual Chodsko Folk Festival in August attract the attention of many visitors.

Thanks to its many tourist and bicycle tracks, the Bohemian Forest offers perfect conditions for summer and winter recreation. There are many tended ski slopes and tracks for cross-country skiing. Recreation and health improvement can be combined in the Konstantinovy Lázně spa, which specializes in cardiovascular illness prevention, treatment and convalescence, and in treatment of the locomotor system, metabolism and the respiratory system. Other places suitable for recreation include the Hracholusky dam and the Berounka river, which is often used for boating.

Districts:

Domažlice District

The economy of the district of Domažlice relies on both agriculture and industry. Industrial enterprises are mostly concentrated in Domažlice, Kdyně, and Klenčí pod Čerchovem. Crop farming is mainly oriented at growing wheat, barley, oilseed rape, and fodder or silage maize. Animal production specializes in the farming of cattle (mainly for the meat industry), pigs, poultry, ewes, and rams.

Klatovy District

The district’s industry is concentrated in three centres: Klatovy, Sušice and Horažďovice. Important industrial enterprises include HASIT (plastering), Otavské strojírny (engineering), KLIMO Klatovy (drinks), DZ Klatovy (poultry), and Okula Nýrsko (glass rims). When it comes to the natural environment, the district is one of the best in the region. The southern part of the territory, foothills of the Bohemian Forest, and the Bohemian Forest itself are among areas of the highest quality in the Czech Republic.

Plzeň-město District

The regional town of Plzeň is the landmark of the district. The historical centre of the town has a number of monuments and architectural rarities worth seeing. The Gothic tower of the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew, which is the tallest tower in Bohemia (102 m), is the dominant feature of one of the largest medieval town squares. Jewish culture is represented by the Great Synagogue, which is the third largest synagogue in the world. The Brewery Museum, with its unique collections, offers visitors to the town a tour of brewery history.

Industry is one of the most important and most developed sectors in the district. This includes both engineering and food-processing. Engineering is mainly represented by Škoda Plzeň, a. s. Important enterprises in the district include Plzeňský Prazdroj, a. s. (the largest exporter of beer), Stock Plzeň, a. s. (traditional producer of spirits), and Bohemia Sekt, a. s., in Starý Plzenec (important producer of wines). The attractiveness of Plzeň and its surroundings for foreign investors is evidenced by the share of foreign investments in the district of Plzeň-město. The most important investor in the district is the Japanese plant, Panasonic AVC Networks Czech, s. r. o., which manufactures TV-sets. Other important foreign firms include YAZAKI WIRING TECHNOLOGIES CZECH, s. r. o., which manufactures components for cars, Borgers CS, s. r. o., which manufactures plastic products, and others.

Plzeň-jih District

Several important transport routes run through the district. For railways, it is the Plzeň – České Budějovice track. Mineral deposits, which mainly represent the potential for the development of the manufacturing industry, are mostly used in the district of Plzeň-jih for the construction materials industry, represented by Lassesberger, a. s. The Plzeň-jih district plays an important role in agriculture of the Plzeň region – crop farming is mainly oriented towards growing wheat, barley, potatoes, rape and maize.

Rokycany District

The district of Rokycany used to be an area with developed hardware production. Today, metallurgy of iron metals is done by Železárny Hrádek and Slévárna Strašice, and metallurgy of non-iron metals by Kovohutě Rokycany. Car components are manufactured by Borgers, EuWeWexler and Bontaz, rubber products by Hutchinson in Rokycany. A new factory that manufactures corrugated paper, Prowell, can be found at the Rokycany exit from the D5 motorway.

Tachov District

Industrial production is mainly concentrated in the four largest towns. Alfa Plastik Bruntál, which owns a plant in Tachov, continues the more than 40 years  tradition of plastics production. The company specializes in manufacturing plastic pressings by injection, plastic packaging and plastic components for cars. Alutech Benteler Aluminium Systém CZ in the Nová Hospoda industrial zone in Bor u Tachova manufactures aluminium bumpers. Important food-processing operations include the EHERMANN dairy in Stříbro and the Chodovar brewery in Chodová Planá. The district’s dense forestation means there are various wood-processing firms and sawmills.

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