Nové Sedliště

Nové Sedliště is a small village in the west of the Czech Republic, part of the municipality of Staré Sedliště in the Tachov District, Plzeň Region. It sits a few kilometres southwest of Tachov, close to the Bavarian border, in a quiet part of the region that sees little tourist traffic. With only a little over a hundred residents, the village is easy to overlook, yet it holds a Baroque manor house, a 16th-century church, and one of the more notable Jewish heritage sites in the Tachov area.

What role has the village played in local history?

The first written record of Nové Sedliště dates back to the late 15th century. For centuries the settlement changed hands among various noble families, until in 1787 the estate was bought by Josefina Schirndingová of Schirnding. A few years later, in 1792, the new owner — a wealthy glass manufacturer named František Koller — had a late Baroque manor house built on the site. Koller himself only lived there until 1796; after that the building passed through a series of relatively minor owners. Following the Second World War it was taken over by the State Farm of Tachov. Nové Sedliště remained an independent municipality until 1960, when it was merged into neighbouring Staré Sedliště, a few kilometres to the northeast.

What is there to see in the village?

The centrepiece is the manor house (zámek) — a modest, rectangular, single-storey late Baroque building with a mansard roof, corner turrets, and a triangular gable on its northern façade. It is now private property and closed to visitors inside, but the building and the English-style park next to it can be admired from the outside on a short walk through the village.

On the northwestern edge of Nové Sedliště stands the Church of the Holy Trinity, a tower-less building erected in 1581 through the endowment of the knight Jonáš Tucher of Šoberov. The church was burned down during the Thirty Years' War and later rebuilt and remodelled in a Baroque style. It is a modest but genuine trace of the region's turbulent past.

What is hidden in the woods nearby?

Behind the western edge of the village, in a small patch of forest, lies a Jewish cemetery with nearly 250 gravestones and fragments of gravestones. It is a reminder that the history of Nové Sedliště was shaped not only by noble families but also by a sizeable Jewish community that lived here for generations. Though small and tucked away among the trees, the cemetery is one of the better-preserved sites of its kind in the Tachov area and occasionally draws short heritage walks from the surrounding region.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Nové Sedliště located? In the Tachov District of the Plzeň Region, in the west of the Czech Republic, close to the border with Bavaria, Germany. It lies about 7 km from Tachov and just under 55 km from Plzeň.

Can the manor house be visited? No — it is privately owned and not open to the public inside. Visitors can, however, view the building and its surrounding park from the outside.

What is the main attraction in the village? Besides the manor house, the two highlights are the 18th-century Jewish cemetery hidden in the woods on the western edge of the village and the Church of the Holy Trinity, built in 1581.

Is Nové Sedliště an independent municipality? No, since 1960 it has been part of the municipality of Staré Sedliště, which comprises several smaller settlements.

How do you get to Nové Sedliště? The easiest way is by car from Tachov, following local roads to the southwest; the village is also close to border crossings into Bavaria, making it a convenient stop between the Czech Republic and Germany.