fontána Masarykovo náměstí

The Square Beneath a Medieval Gate

Masarykovo náměstí sits at the northern edge of Jindřichův Hradec's historic core, on the route from the old town centre towards the railway and bus stations. In the Middle Ages, the great Gothic Prague Gate once stood here marking the town's northern entrance. During the 2006 reconstruction that preceded the fountain's installation, archaeologists from the Jindřichův Hradec Museum uncovered two timber-lined medieval cesspits filled with period objects and ceramic vessels, along with a double-arched stone bridge dating to the High Gothic fortification system.↗↗↗

The thorough reconstruction of the square's surface was funded partly by a European grant of 600,000 euros. After its completion in late 2006, Jindřichův Hradec was named Historic Town of the Year 2007—a title that the new fountain, installed just over a year later, came to complement as a modern counterpoint to the town's layered medieval history.↗

A Controversial Beginning

The fountain's birth was anything but quiet. It emerged from a public design competition in 2007, and Häckel's project won from a tie of two second-place entries. Critics in the town immediately raised objections: a nearly identical fountain design existed in Prague. After lengthy council debates and several public meetings with the artist, the project was approved. Häckel defended himself by explaining that his Prague work used a rose motif at half the diameter, and that each of his designs was conceived specifically for its location.↗

The fountain was ceremonially switched on at 12:30 on 4 July 2008, drawing large crowds of curious residents. Despite initial mixed reactions, it fulfilled exactly what its creator had hoped for: it became the natural gathering point on the upper square.↗↗

What to Notice and Do

Timing is everything here. Watch for the periodic eruption—when the geyser fires, the water surges upward, spills over the bowls in concentric rings, and then the stone returns to silence until the next pulse. Sit on the low granite edges in the afternoon heat; the mist from the overflow makes the immediate surroundings noticeably cooler than the rest of the square.↗↗

In summer, the square hosts popular promenade concerts, and the Střelnice cinema next door is the town's main cultural venue. The square itself connects the old town centre to the transport hub, making the fountain a natural starting or ending point for a walking tour of Jindřichův Hradec—which itself is dominated by the magnificent chateau complex, one of the largest castle estates in Central Europe.↗

Evening visits reward you with the synchronized water, light, and sound display that the fountain now offers—a quietly theatrical spectacle that the town's own tourism information highlights as an unusual experience for visitors.↗

Practical Information

The fountain is freely accessible in an open public square. It sits directly on the pedestrian route between Jindřichův Hradec's historic centre and the main train and bus station. The area is wheelchair accessible, and nearby street parking is available on Masarykovo náměstí. Visits peak on weekday mornings (Wednesday 10:00–12:00 is busiest) and Saturday afternoons. For the light show experience, return after dark in summer.↗