Cemetery Klokoty

Klokoty Cemetery is a historic municipal cemetery in the Klokoty district on the southern edge of Tábor, Czech Republic, standing right beside the Baroque pilgrimage church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and its former monastery. Set on a rise above the Lužnice river valley, it has served as a burial ground for the city's residents for centuries.

How to get there?

The cemetery lies on Staroklokotská street in Tábor-Klokoty, a short walk from the historic town centre. Its entrance sits on the same side as the gate leading into the monastery courtyard, so the religious complex and the cemetery are easy to combine into a single visit. Klokoty can be reached on foot, by car, or by local city transport from central Tábor.

Where did this place come from?

A settlement at Klokoty already existed in the early 13th century — Vítek of Klokoty, regarded as the forefather of the later lords of Landštejn, is recorded in 1220 as having built a small stronghold here. In 1452, the wealthy Tábor burgher Petr Růže bought the village, and after the death of his daughter Kateřina in 1469, Klokoty passed into the ownership of the town of Tábor. The local chapel suffered heavy damage during the Hussite Wars: in 1421, around fifty members of the Adamite sect were burned near the local vicarage. The present Baroque church, associated with the circle of architect Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel, was built over subsequent centuries on the site of earlier, destroyed structures, with construction at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries funded in part by the Hodějovský and Bechyně families.

What can you see at the cemetery?

Klokoty Cemetery is considered one of the oldest and most notable cemeteries in Tábor, holding the graves of numerous figures tied to the city's history, including former hotel owners, bankers, and other prominent residents, as their inscriptions and gravestone styles attest. The grounds are well kept, and the layout and monuments reflect changing burial customs across different eras, from classic stone memorials to more recent forms of interment. In 2011, a scattering meadow (rozptylová louka) was created on the cemetery grounds for the dispersal of cremated remains, along with accompanying irrigation works and landscaping. The cemetery also offers columbarium niche rentals and the establishment of single, double, and family graves, including urn graves.

Nearby, starting from the monastery side, runs a Way of the Cross established in 1866 — a pilgrimage route with successive stations of Christ's Passion, worth walking to place a cemetery visit within the wider religious context of Klokoty as a pilgrimage site.

When to visit?

The cemetery is open daily, with hours that vary by season: from March 16 to November 14, it is open from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and from November 15 to March 15, from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Late spring and early autumn make for the most pleasant visits, when the greenery around the church and monastery walls looks its best and pilgrim traffic — heaviest around the main pilgrimage feast held on the Saturday closest to August 15 — is lighter.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Klokoty Cemetery located? On Staroklokotská street in the Klokoty district on the southern edge of Tábor, directly adjoining the monastery-church complex.

Who manages the cemetery? It is managed by the municipal Cemetery Administration (Správa hřbitovů), part of the company Technické služby Tábor.

Can visiting the cemetery teach you about the history of Klokoty? Yes — its proximity to the Baroque pilgrimage church and former monastery means a visit naturally pairs with exploring the historic religious complex, whose origins reach back to the 13th century.

What are the cemetery's opening hours? In summer (March 16–November 14) it is open from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and in winter (November 15–March 15) from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.