History of skiing tourism in České Budějovice (Budweis) from its beginnings to 1938

Abstract

This paper thematically builds on two already published articles devoted to the beginnings of classical hiking, cycling and water tourism in the same period and practically in the same territory. Its content only underlines the wide range of physical activities related to the natural environment, which the inhabitants of České Budějovice gradually began to practice from the end of the 19th century in this natural center of southern Bohemia, the region extremely rich in natural beauty, historical monuments and other popular tourist destinations. Forms of tourism related to technical means of transport have in the course of its development gradually evolved into self-contained sectors, that have not only complemented classical tourism, but have gradually surpassed it in importance. In southern Bohemia, in addition to the already processed cycling and water tourism, mainly ski tourism in winter was operated. This article focuses on the period of its beginnings and evolution up to the start of the Second World War. There is also a significant intermingling of the contemporary realism in the Czech-German national relations with the time and territorial framework of this topic.