Plzeň Central Cemetery

Plzeň Central Cemetery (Ústřední hřbitov) is the largest and most significant burial ground in the city, located in the Doubravka district along the road leading toward Prague. It is the final resting place of many figures who shaped the history and culture of Plzeň, while also offering a quiet, tree-lined space for a reflective walk away from the city center.

How to get there?

The cemetery sits on the eastern edge of Plzeň, in the Doubravka district, a few kilometers from the historic center. It's easily reached by public transport or car, since the grounds lie right along the main road connecting Plzeň with Prague, which makes orientation simple even for visitors unfamiliar with the city. Given how extensive the grounds are, it's worth planning enough time for a proper walk if you're looking for specific graves.

Why was this cemetery built?

The cemetery's origins trace back to sanitary decisions made at the end of the 19th century. Before it existed, residents of Plzeň were buried in churchyard cemeteries — at the Church of All Saints in Roudná and at the Church of St. Nicholas, on today's Mikulášské Square. Both sites had been expanded repeatedly, but by the second half of the 19th century they could no longer keep up with the growing city. In 1894, the district authorities decided to close the old burial grounds and lay out a new, much larger cemetery beyond the built-up edge of the city at the time. The first burials on the new site took place from 1902 onward, marking the start of today's Ústřední hřbitov.

Who is buried here?

Over the decades, the cemetery has become the resting place of numerous notable citizens of Plzeň. Among them is writer Karel Klostermann, known for novels set in the Šumava region, and long-serving Plzeň mayor Václav Peták, whose tombstone was designed by architect Hanuš Zápal, responsible for many of the city's Art Nouveau buildings. The grounds also hold the honorary graves of Josef Skupa, creator of the puppet characters Spejbl and Hurvínek, and animator and director Jiří Trnka. A particularly moving grave belongs to General Heliodor Píka, a legionnaire and intelligence officer executed in 1949 at Bory Prison following a fabricated political trial — his grave today serves as a memorial to victims of communist-era repression.

What else is worth seeing?

At the heart of the cemetery stands the Chapel of St. Wenceslas, the architectural focal point of the grounds and the venue still used for funeral services. Wide tree-lined avenues, mature old trees, and a striking variety of gravestone architecture — ranging from modest markers to monumental tombs designed by well-known architects of the late 19th and early 20th centuries — together turn the grounds into a quiet record of the city's history and of the people who shaped it over more than a century.

When to visit?

The cemetery can be visited year-round, but spring and autumn offer the most pleasant conditions for walking, when the greenery and old trees give the place a particular atmosphere. It's also worth visiting around All Saints' Day, when the graves are decorated and the cemetery takes on an especially reflective mood tied to the city's history.

Frequently asked questions

When was Plzeň Central Cemetery established? The decision to build it was made in 1894, and the first burials took place from 1902, after the overcrowded churchyard cemeteries in the city center were closed.

Who is buried there? Notable burials include writer Karel Klostermann, mayor Václav Peták, puppeteer Josef Skupa, animator Jiří Trnka, and General Heliodor Píka, a victim of communist-era repression.

Where were Plzeň residents buried before the central cemetery existed? Before the central cemetery was built, burials took place at the Church of All Saints in Roudná and at the Church of St. Nicholas on today's Mikulášské Square.

What is the architectural centerpiece of the cemetery? The Chapel of St. Wenceslas, still used for funeral ceremonies today and serving as the central landmark of the grounds.