Locus perennis

Locus perennis is a small stone monument standing off the beaten path just outside the town of Lišov in South Bohemia. The Latin name translates roughly as "the lasting place" or "the eternal place" — a fitting label, since the site was meant to serve as a reference point that would outlast ordinary roadside markers by design. It isn't a church or a manor house; it's a technical, geodetic monument — one of the fundamental levelling points once used to fix precise elevations above sea level.

What exactly is this place?

Locus perennis marks a specific elevation above sea level, just under 565 meters. Points like this were established across the Czech lands under Austria-Hungary, when surveyors needed fixed, unchanging reference marks to build maps and elevation networks. The point itself was measured in 1878. Of nine such original levelling points set up in the Czech lands at the time, this is the only one that has survived in its original form — the rest were lost or destroyed over the following decades.

Where did the stone pyramid come from, and why call it the "eternal place"?

For over a decade after the 1878 measurement, the spot had no visible marker at all — it existed only as a reference on surveyors' maps. It wasn't until 1890, twelve years later, that a visible monument was erected over it: a modest, roughly two-meter-tall, pyramid-shaped structure built from three stone sections. That's when the site received its Latin name, Locus perennis, underlining its intended role as a permanent, unchanging reference point meant to endure for decades — unlike the temporary surveying marks of the period, which tended to disappear over time.

Is it really the geographic center of Europe?

A local legend grew up around Locus perennis claiming it marked the geographic center of the European continent. This belief, once repeated by local residents and passing visitors, has nothing to do with the monument's actual purpose — Locus perennis was never a continental midpoint, only a local elevation reference for Austro-Hungarian-era mapping. Even so, the myth has stuck around long enough that visitors still ask guides and locals in Lišov about it today.

Where exactly is it, and how do you get there?

The monument stands on rocky ground in a former quarry, beside the road connecting Lišov and Rudolfov, in the České Budějovice district of the South Bohemian Region. It's a quiet, little-visited spot, off the region's main tourist routes, but easy to reach on foot or by bike directly from Lišov. The site is open year-round and free to visit — there's no gate, no admission fee, and no set visiting hours.

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Locus perennis actually mean? It's Latin for "the lasting place" or "the eternal place," referring to the point's role as a permanent geodetic reference mark meant to outlast ordinary field markers.

When was the point established, and when was the monument built? The measurement point itself dates to 1878; the visible, pyramid-shaped stone monument marking it was erected in 1890.

Is it really the geographic center of Europe? No. That's a widespread but mistaken local legend. Locus perennis is a levelling point for elevation measurement, not a continental midpoint.

Is there an admission fee? No, the site is open year-round, free of charge, with no fixed visiting hours.

How do you get to Locus perennis? The monument sits beside the road between Lišov and Rudolfov, in the České Budějovice district — the easiest way there is on foot or by bike directly from Lišov.