Region of South Bohemia – Attractive Region with Picturesque Nature
The Region of South Bohemia used to be seen as an agricultural area with developed fish farming and forestry. Industrial development oriented towards manufacturing activities has only started to appear in the region during the 20th century.
With its 10 057 sq. km, the region takes up 12.8% of the entire Czech Republic. More than 7 000 ponds, whose overall surface area is more than 30 thousand hectares today, were built within the region’s territory in the past. The largest ponds in the region and in the Czech Republic as well are the following: Rožmberk (490 ha), Bezdrev (450 ha) and Horusický (415 ha). Apart from that, large dams were built in the region: Lipno (4 870 ha) – the largest body of water in the Czech Republic, Orlík with its extensive recreation areas, and Římov, which serves as a drinking-water reservoir for a significant part of the region. In connection with the building of the Temelín nuclear power plant, the Hněvkovice water dam was built.
A significant part of the region’s border is formed by the state border with Austria and Germany (total length of 323 km) – the region’s border character provides for opportunities for efficient cross-border cooperation in the area of manufacture as well as the area of services, together with the development of the tourist trade, which makes use of the region’s overall attractiveness, unspoiled nature and the many cultural monuments.
Of the region’s seven districts, the district of České Budějovice, which is home to almost 30% of the region’s inhabitants, has the highest density of population. This is mostly caused by the concentration of the population in the town of České Budějovice itself, which has 94.8 thousand people. Other big towns include the following: Tábor (35.3 thousand people), Písek (29.9 thousand people), Strakonice (23.0 thousand people) and Jindřichův Hradec (22.4 thousand people). Almost one third of all people in the region live in these towns.
Statistical Data
|
Population |
1. 8. 2012 |
636118 |
|
Gross wage |
1st Q. 2012 |
CZK 21 463 (approx. EUR 859) |
|
Unemployment |
1. 8. 2012 |
6.97% |
|
|
Source: Czech Statistical Office
Economic Potential
The Region of South Bohemia is not an area rich in raw materials. Most importantly, there are almost no sources of power-producing raw materials. However, the expansive forests are an important natural treasure, especially in the Bohemian Forest and the Novohradské mountains. The forests are mostly coniferous, spruce and boric. The greatest raw material treasure is formed by deposits of sands and sandy gravels, brick clay, aggregate and glass sands. Other important raw materials include peat and, in some locations, also limestone, diatomite and graphite.
There are a number of educational and scientific research institutions in the South Bohemia region. The most important ones include the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, which comprises a public university-type school.The region has always had the character of a recreation area rather than an industrially developed area. The effort to preserve the natural environment is reflected in the establishment of the Šumava National Park. In agriculture, crop farming is mostly oriented towards cereals, oil crops and fodder crop. Animal production is dominated by cattle and pig farming. The region has a long tradition of fish farming. The overall surface area of ponds used for fish farming is approximately 25 000 ha. The ponds supply more than half of the overall production of fish in the Czech Republic. The region also has a significant share in the farming of aquatic poultry (ducks and geese).
Industrial production is mainly concentrated in the vicinity of České Budějovice, with significant portions of the industry also in he districts of Tábor and Strakonice. However, the region is not a crucial industrial area for the Czech Republic. The share of revenue of all industrial enterprises in the CR was just 3.8% in 2010. The manufacturing industry is the most prominent and within it the manufacture of motor vehicles (excluding motorcycles), trailers and semi-trailers, and the production of food. The region’s construction firms specialize in new buildings, reconstruction and modernization. The region registers increasing levels of traffic intensity, especially on the roads. While no main railway corridors go through the region, there are several important hubs. The road network ensures sufficient basic transport accessibility for municipalities, but the region is not currently connected to the national motorway network.
The region has several industrial zones (zone locations at http://invest.kraj-jihocesky.cz) and cluster initiatives (such as the Brewery or Forestry clusters). The exhibition grounds in České Budějovice host various kinds of exhibitions throughout the whole year. The most popular ones are the international agricultural fair, “Bread Basket”, and the “HOBBY” exhibition. Around 300 thousand people visit these exhibitions annually. Many types of cross-border cooperation have been developing in recent years. One of them is the Euroregion Šumava/Bayerischer Wald/Mühlviertel, which covers an area of 16 thousand sq. km with 1.3 million people. The euroregion associates 111 Upper-Austrian, 107 Bavarian and 95 Czech municipalities (of which 56 municipalities are from the South Bohemia region). Benefits can be seen in the creation and realization of joint projects, especially in the area of transport, services and the tourist trade, and in the mutual exchange of experience.
Tourist Trade
The historical centres of the following towns are designated urban monument reserves: České Budějovice, Český Krumlov (recognized by UNESCO), Jindřichův Hradec, Prachatice, Slavonice, Tábor and Třeboň. Apart from that, there is a number of historical monuments in the region, such as the castle and château in Český Krumlov and Jindřichův Hradec, and the châteaux Hluboká nad Vltavou, Orlík, Blatná, Červená Lhota and castles Zvíkov and Landštejn. Folk architecture is also important, especially the so-called “rural baroque”. The most important monuments of this kind include the village square in Holašovice (České Budějovice district), which has been included in the UNESCO list of protected cultural heritage sites since 1998. During the summer months, the areas around Lipno, Orlík, the ponds of South Bohemia and also Šumava become attractive destinations. In winter, the attention turns to the skiing resorts at Zadov-Churáňov and Lipno-Kramolín.
Districts:
České Budějovice District
The regional town of České Budějovice (more than 95 thousand people), the administrative and cultural centre, is located in the district. There are several universities and world-renowned firms with long traditions, such as KOH-I-NOOR HARDTMUTH, a. s., Budějovický Budvar, n. p., the largest engineering firm in South Bohemia, Robert Bosch, s. r. o., or the important food-processing firm, Madeta, a. s. The structure of enterprises in the district of České Budějovice is completely different from other districts. Based on employee numbers, there is a significant representation of the market-services sector whose share (over 11%) is approximately twice as high as in other districts. Higher numbers of employees are also in retail and transport.
Český Krumlov District
There are three industrial zones in the district. The district’s greatest jewel is the unique architectural and urban complex in the town of Český Krumlov, which has been on the UNESCO list of world natural and cultural heritage since 1992.
Jindřichův Hradec District
The district is characteristic for its large bodies of water formed by networks of ponds. There are over 2 500 fish-farming ponds that take up about 6% of the district’s overall area. The structure of employment mainly shows a higher share of agriculture. The number is twice as high as the average in the region, which makes it the highest in the region. The district has a great number of cultural and historical monuments. The centres of the towns of Jindřichův Hradec, Třeboň and Slavonice have been designated as urban monument reserves for their historical value.
Písek District
The highest share in the structure of employment is held by the industry (38%), which is slightly above the region average. The share of non-market services is also above average. Agriculture has a share of approximately 8% of the employees. The district’s attractiveness is increased by the Orlík dam with the Orlík château and the Zvíkov castle. The town of Protivín contributes with its Schwarzenberg brewery.
Prachatice District
The district’s climate is strongly influenced by its altitude and the broken nature of the landscape. Based on the structure of employment (measured by numbers of employees in companies with a place of business in the district), the most important sector is the industry. It has a share of approximately 40%, which is 3 percentage points higher than the region average. Agriculture, construction and accommodation industries also have shares close to region averages. The sectors of market services, retail and especially transport are all below region averages, with transport having only a 3% share in overall employment figures, which is significantly less than in other districts. On the other hand, the share of employees in non-market services is 27%, which is by far the highest value in the region.
Strakonice District
The district can be divided into four micro-regions – Blatensko, Vodňansko, Volyňsko and Strakonicko. Each area has its own specificities and a number of historical monuments and peculiarities. Blatensko – charming landscape, pond area with the Labuť pond – the largest in the district. Vodňansko – landscape characterized by ponds and forests. Volyňsko – hills and forests that only open up for the Volyňka river; the area also features a number of folk architecture buildings (Čestice – rural baroque château, Dobrš – renaissance fort or Malenice with its water iron-mill). Strakonicko – its most distinctive landscape feature is the Otava river. The town’s past renown for the manufacture of fez hats and motorcycles is now only reminded by a museum display. However, Strakonice is considered the bagpipers’ town. The town regularly hosts international bagpipe festivals attended by musicians and folklore groups from various parts of Europe.
Tábor District
The district is attractive not only because of its beautiful nature but also because of its old towns and historical monuments. Archaeological discoveries do not rule out prehistoric settlements in the place of the historical centre of the town of Tábor, and the existence of a Celtic oppidum is a real possibility. The most important historical period for the region was the time of hussites. Master John Huss resided and preached at Kozí Hrádek near Sezimovo Ústí in 1412. Current data about employee numbers show the dominant position of the industry. Of the overall number of employees, 40% are employed in this sector, which is significantly more than in the majority of other districts. A greater share of employees are also in agriculture and retail.
Useful contacts:
South Bohemian Regional Authority, www.kraj-jihocesky.cz
South Bohemian Chamber of Commerce, www.jhk.cz
South Bohemian for Support of Innovation Businesses, www.jaip.cz
Regional Development Agency, RERA, a. s., www.rera.cz
University of South Bohemia, www.jcu.cz
City Authority of České Budějovice, www.c-budejovice.cz