Rakovník is a city of 16,000 inhabitants (2023) in Central Bohemia. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.

Understand

The Rakovník Brewery was founded in 1454. It is one of the oldest breweries in the country. The beers are marketed under the brand Bakalář.

Get in

Rakovník is the terminus and start of railway lines heading from Prague, Kladno, Beroun, Osek, Žlutice, Bečov nad Teplou and Blatno.

It is 40 km west of Prague and 45 km northeast of Pilsen.

See

City

• The historical core of the town is the 400 metre-long Husovo Square, which is the second longest square in the Czech Republic. On the square is located the 16th-century town hall with a late Baroque façade. The interior of the town hall is decorated with a ceiling fresco depicting the town of Rakovník as it was 250 years ago.
• 1 Church of St. Bartholomew (Kostel svatého Bartoloměje). The eastern part of the square is dominated by this high Gothic Deaconal church, a 14th-century structure. Adjacent to the church stands a bell tower dating from 1495. It is considered as the most precious gothic bell tower in the Czech Republic and one of the most precious in Europe. The bell has a diameter of 1.6 metres.  
• 2 Church of Holy Trinity (Kostel Nejsvětější Trojice). Completed in 1588, it is a Renaissance building with certain Gothic elements, e.g. all the windows are arched with irregular tracery decoration. The one-nave church topped by a three-sided chancel is 22 m long and 7.5 m wide. There are five sandstone support pillars on both sides of the building, two at its end. The roof is hipped , covered with tiles, on which there is an octagonal pediment topped with a poppy (updated Mar 2024)
• Other notable buildings in Rakovník include the Gothic Church of Saint Giles.
• 3 Former Synagogue (Synagoga), Vysoká 232. The former synagogue (completed 1763–1764) serves cultural and social purposes. It contains the Václav Rabas Gallery. (updated Mar 2024)

Křivoklátsko

• 4 Křivoklátsko. Protected Landscape Area and UNESCO biosphere reserve with unique species of plants in forests of Berounka River valley. Křivoklát Castle is there. 

• 5 Křivoklát. A castle that was built in the 12th century, and damaged by fire several times. A museum can be visited, with collections of hunting weapons, Gothic paintings and books. Also theatrical exhibitions happen here few times a year.  

Other

• 6 Skryjský waterfall.  
• 7 Krakovec Castle (Krakovec (hrad)).  
• 8 Hlavačov castle ruins.  
• 9 Educational trail Uhelná stezka Kroučová.  
• 10 Beech in Budlín.  
• 11 Jenčov Castle (Jenčov).  

Do

• 1 Čertova skála (nature reserve) (Čertova skála (přírodní rezervace)).  
• 2 Vůznice nature reserve.