Covering the south-west portion of the Czech Republic, the Pilsen Region is the third largest region of the country, favorably interspaced between the Capital City of Prague and the Federal Republic of Germany. The Region is typical of a multitude of small towns and villages rather unevenly distributed. The city of Pilsen then emerges as a natural center point of the region - it is the fourth biggest city in the Czech Republic and the European Capital of Culture for 2015. Some smaller towns worth mentioning are Klatovy, Domažlice, Tachov and Rokycany. Belonging long-term to the CR areas with low unemployment rates (about 4.2%), the Pilsen Region contributes 5.2% to the Czech Republic's GDP. Pilsen, the region's capital, is also an important university town, a home to the University of West Bohemia with its 9 faculties, almost 60 departments and 12 thousand students. Having a host of items of historical heritage and natural beauties, the Pilsen Region is a destination favored by tourists, who appreciate especially its ideal conditions for hiking, cycling and winter sports. A substantial portion of the Region is covered by ranges of wooded mountains, out of which the best known are Šumava in the south, Český les (or Czech Forest) in the south-west and Brdy in the east.
7,561 km²
Population:
580,121
Capital city: