The Town of Boskovice lies in the northern section of the South Moravian Region and it is the centre of the Boskovice micro-region. It is a historical and administrative centre and a town of schools and cultural traditions. Boskovice offers things which you cannot find elsewhere - the unique combination of a castle and a château, one of the most interesting Jewish quarters in the Czech Republic, unique Empire-style structures and interiors and a Western town. However, the castle, château, Jewish cemetery and the churches are not only witnesses to the town's rich history, but they also come to life every year with a number of cultural and social events.

In the 13th century, a market settlement was established under the newly established gothic castle. Boskovice was mentioned in written sources as a small town from the 2nd half of the 15th century. A Jewish settlement also arose here during the difficult period of the expulsion of Jews from Moravian towns and it subsequently became one of the most significant such settlements in Moravia over the course of the next century. In 1819-1826, the decommissioned monastery was rebuilt as an Empire-style château and as the seat of the last owners of the estate, the House of Mensdorff-Pouilly, which took over the Boskovice estate in the 1850s. The coat-of-arms of Boskovice (a white ridge with seven peaks on a red background) has been documented from 1567.

The Boskovice urban heritage zone

The zone incorporates the town's historical core, including the square, the château, the castle, the Jewish ghetto with the synagogue, the residence, the former monastery, the greenhouse and the riding school.

The Boskovice Castle

The romantic ruins of a gothic-renaissance castle dating from the middle of the 13th century. The aristocratic seat was abandoned in the 18th century. Only the torso of the castle palace, which offers an impressive view of the local picturesque landscape, has been preserved from the originally massive structure. A point of technical interest is the 26-metre deep well driven by a wooden treadle.

The Boskovice chateau

The Empire-style appearance of the Boskovice château has its origins in the 1820s and 1830s, but the history of this structure was written almost one and a half centuries earlier.

The château was returned to its original owners, the House of Mensdorff-Pouilly after 1991. The interiors house a historical exhibition with unique fittings, mainly in the Empire and Biedermeier styles.

The Empire-style greenhouse at the château with glazed arcades and a circular pool was built in 1826-1829 on the site of the burnt-down sheep pens and it was designated for the cultivation of thermophilic plants. At present, it serves as a cultural and social centre.

The Church of St. James with its 41 m high tower is located in the lower part of Masaryk Square. The first written mention comes from 1346. The presbytery is home to several renaissance and early baroque tombs of the owners of the Boskovice estate. The seven-metre late renaissance tomb of the House of Zástřizly is the largest in Moravia. A number of concerts are held in the church during the year.

The maior synagogue

Nowadays, this is the only preserved synagogue in the Boskovice Jewish town. Its foundations date from 1639. In 2002, the synagogue was opened to the public after general reconstruction work. It houses a permanent exhibition on the Jewish Quarter in Boskovice which documents the history of the local Jewish community.

Traditional events

• The Spring Velorex Rally - a traditional gathering of the owners of Velorex vehicles (the first weekend in May)
• The Concentus Moraviae International Music Festival of 13 Towns (in Boskovice June 10th and 16th)
• The Boskovice promenade season - every holiday Sunday in front of the château glasshouse
• The Boskovice fairy tale season - a cycle of fairy tales, every Friday in the château courtyard (July - August)
• The Boskovice Festival - a multi-genre festival held by the UNIJAZZ Praha association (7th - 10th July).
• Hradhouse - an electronic music festival at the castle (August)
• The IBERICA Festival of Spanish Culture (in Boskovice August 19th and 20th)
• The Goose Celebrations - a traditional two-day event featuring all goose specialities (October 1st and 2nd)
• The March in the Steps of P. Ševčík a walking and cycle trip (September)
• The Christmas Market on Masaryk Square (December)