Branice: Chapels, Museum and History

Branice offers several distinct ways to explore local history: a historic route, chapels with their own stories of construction and remembrance, and a museum that presents history with humor. For travelers interested in cultural history, this creates a journey between traces of older routes, specific memorial sites, and themes from the 20th century.

Routes and railways in different eras

Branice lies on railway line No. 201 from Tábor via Písek to Ražice. The route is a lasting geographical reference point, while transport services may change. So if you are considering the train for your travel plans, it is worth checking the current timetable.

Another era is represented by the Bechyňská cesta: it passed through Branice around 1240–1260 and connected Bechyně with Milevsko. There was a crossroads in the village. The historic route and the railway line thus offer two clearly distinct perspectives on Branice: an older history of routes and today’s connection to the railway.

Chapels and remembrance

The Chapel of the Holy Cross stands on the site of a former plague cemetery dating from the 17th century. Its present-day building history began after a turning point: a storm destroyed the earlier chapel in 1929; the current chapel was built afterward and consecrated in 1931. This place brings together the memory of the former cemetery and the story of the new building.

Next to the chapel is an enclosed stone cross commemorating Stanislav Čunát. His name also appears on the commemorative plaque. The cross’s location beside the chapel and the remembrance of him by name are specific details of this memorial site.

The Chapel of Saint Wenceslas dates from 1881 and is dedicated to Saint Wenceslas, the patron saint of the Czech lands. Its bell has a history spanning several periods: earlier bells were removed twice because of war. In 1946, the municipality bought a new bell, which is still in service today.

The Chapel of Saint Saturninus marks a more recent phase of construction. Local members of the Vejrovské zemanství association built it in 2006. Its origins are clearly more recent than those of the other two chapels, adding a more recent initiative to the picture of local cultural history.

History at the Prohledárium Vejrovského zemanství

The Prohledárium Vejrovského zemanství is a museum in the Branice cultural center that presents history with humor. Its themes broaden the picture beyond the chapels’ histories of construction and remembrance: the exhibitions cover the 20th century, the Second World War, and remembrance of the victims of fascism and communism. Exhibition topics and visiting arrangements may change, so it is worth checking the latest visitor information when planning your visit.

The Prohledárium also regularly hosts salons of drawn humor under the title “V obci Branice Vám rozhýbeme bránice.” Individual programs may change, so it is a good idea to check the dates before visiting.

Events in the cultural calendar

Branice’s traditional cultural calendar includes the New Year’s procession “Novoroční pochod” on January 1 and the Slavnosti Vejrovského zemanství festival on June 1. If you would like to plan your trip around either event, check the dates and arrangements for the relevant year: future dates and arrangements may change.

Discover more destinations: Sepekov, Ražice, Albrechtice Nad Vltavou, Slabčice, Slavkovice, Květov, Myslín, Chrást

For the broader travel overview: Písek District.