The Livcom Awards 2009
The City of Pilsen will in 2009 become the proud host of the 13th annual final of the prestigious International Awards for Liveable Communities. It is also preparing its candidature for European Capital of Culture in 2015.
These major events will broaden the horizons and transform the face of our city. A celebration of creativity and international cooperation, they demonstrate that Pilsen has more to offer than just unique historical sites, a rich cultural life and a broad range of educational opportunities. It is also a pleasant and hospitable place to meet and exchange experiences at conferences and congresses, and a wonderful place to live.
Founded in 1295 by King Wenceslas II of Bohemia at the confluence of four rivers, Pilsen is today the fourth largest city in the Czech Republic. More than 163,000 people live on an area of just under 140 km2. Pilsen’s ideal geographical location between Prague and Germany makes it a natural centre of commerce, culture and education.
The historical heart of the city was declared an urban conservation area in 1989. Its main square – Náměstí Republiky (Square of the Republic) – was one of the largest in the world at the time it was built. The square contains the tallest church spire in the Czech Republic as well as a Renaissance city hall. The oldest book in the Czech Republic written in the Czech language, the Trojan Chronicle, was printed in Pilsen in 1468. Near the main square is the second-largest synagogue in Europe and the third-largest in the world, the Great Synagogue. A Museum of Brewing can be found in the only surviving medieval licensed brewing house in the world. The City Armoury boasts a larger collection of Gothic arquebuses than any other city armoury in Europe.
A series of cultural festivals held in and around the square throughout the year create a unique atmosphere in the city. These festivals, popular with local residents and foreign visitors alike, include the Smetana Days classical music festival, the Finále film festival, the Apriliáda festival (marking the start of the tourist season), the Freedom Celebrations festival (to commemorate the city’s liberation by the US army), the History Weekend, the International Folk Festival, the Skupa Biennial puppet theatre festival, the In the Street festival, the Divadlo international theatre festival, the International Biennial of Drawing and Graphic Design, and Christmas carol singing and traditional markets.
Pilsen is also a major centre of education, a city of two universities – the University of West Bohemia and the Medical Faculty of Charles University, Prague.
The Pilsen area has a wealth of recreational opportunities. The city is surrounded by numerous woods and lakes. The Sigmond nature trail (named after Prof. Josef Sigmond, a former city forestry official) passes through the sights of the Bolevec Ponds recreational area. A trail following in the footsteps of František Maloch (a well-known Czech botanist and teacher) winds through the geological history and natural habitat of the Upper Berounka natural park. And the Zábělá trail (in a nature reserve on the right-hand bank of the Berounka river) leads to a 2,000-year-old settlement. The wider environs of the city also offer a diverse range of historic sites well worth visiting.
Pilsen is, in short, a city worth living in.
I hope you enjoy it too!
Pavel Rödl
Mayor of Pilsen