Town hall in Kašperské Hory

The Town Hall in Kašperské Hory occupies the western side of the town square and is one of the defining buildings of this Šumava mountain town. Today it houses the local administration, but its story stretches back to an era when Kašperské Hory thrived on gold mining under the shadow of nearby Kašperk Castle.

How did the building become the town hall?

The house that now serves as the town hall was not built as a seat of municipal government. In 1539, King Ferdinand I granted the house at the square to Jiří z Lokšan, the pledgee of Kašperk Castle at the time, as a free property released from obligations to the royal castle. After his death in 1551, his widow bequeathed the house to the town. It was only from 1597 that the building began serving as the seat of the town council — a role it has held without interruption ever since.

How has the building's appearance changed?

The original Renaissance structure underwent significant alterations over the following centuries. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the building acquired the form largely recognizable today, combining Renaissance elements with later Baroque additions. The last major reconstruction of the façade took place in the 1770s, when the distinctive stucco decoration was applied, attributed to master builder Filip Heger. It is this ornate façade, rich in detail, that gives the town hall its representative character today and draws the eyes of visitors crossing the square.

In earlier times, the town hall building also included facilities typical of a burgher house of that period — a brewery, a courtyard and a garden — and at one point the building was connected to the town's first water supply system, a sign of its importance among the buildings on the square.

What other role did the town hall play besides local administration?

The building did not always serve the town council alone. Between 1850 and 1938, it also housed a district court, making it, for nearly ninety years, a center of both administrative and judicial life for the wider surrounding area, not just the town itself.

What lies beneath the town hall?

Beneath the building lie extensive cellars and passages that originally served as utility spaces — storage rooms and an ice house, used to keep food cool in the era before refrigeration. Local legend speaks of a labyrinth of dark underground passages said to lead all the way to Kašperk Castle, though no evidence confirms this. Today the cellars are home to rare bat species that hibernate there, which is why the underground spaces are only open to visitors in summer, from June to September.

Frequently asked questions

Since when has the building served as the town hall? Officially since 1597, though the building itself existed earlier as a private house handed over to the town in the mid-16th century.

What architectural style does the town hall represent? It combines Renaissance and Baroque features, with its current, decorated façade dating from the 1770s reconstruction.

Can visitors see the town hall's cellars? Yes, but only seasonally, from June to September — outside that period the underground spaces protect hibernating bats.

Did the building ever house an institution other than the town office? Yes, between 1850 and 1938 it was the seat of a district court.