Planetarium České Budějovice

In the heart of South Bohemia, where the Vltava and Malše rivers meet, Planetarium České Budějovice has been introducing visitors to the night sky since 1937. It combines a modern fulldome cinema with an active observatory, making it one of the region's longest-running public astronomy venues.

About Planetarium České Budějovice

Opened in 1937, the planetarium ranks among the oldest public planetariums in Bohemia. Today it houses a digital fulldome projection system capable of 4K resolution paired with a high-quality sound system, alongside an observatory dome used for public telescope viewing.

History

The institution has operated continuously since 1937, evolving from an early public planetarium into a modern astronomy education centre that blends its historic observatory with contemporary digital projection technology.

Telescopes & research

Staff astronomers here are active in observational research, particularly the search for asteroids and comets. The team has contributed to more than 1,000 confirmed asteroid discoveries, including several near-Earth asteroids, and has four comet discoveries to its name - a striking record for a facility that also serves as a public planetarium.

Location & getting there

The planetarium sits in České Budějovice, South Bohemia, Czech Republic, at the confluence of the Vltava and Malše rivers. The city is well connected by rail and road to Prague and to Austrian border towns, making the observatory an easy stop for visitors touring southern Bohemia.

Visiting Planetarium České Budějovice

The venue runs regular planetarium shows, lectures, exhibitions and film screenings, plus observatory dome tours for viewing through its telescope. Programmes and opening times change seasonally, so check the current schedule on the official website before you travel.

See your named star from here

Because the observatory dome is used for live telescope viewing, its staff can point an instrument at the exact coordinates of any star named through Star Register. If you've named a star - or are thinking about it - bring your certificate's coordinates along, or browse the full star catalogue beforehand to see what's visible from this latitude.