South Bohemia: the land of 99% of Moldavite

01One region, almost all moldavite

South Bohemia (in Czech Jihočeský kraj) is home to over 99% of all moldavite ever found, including all the most famous locations. It is here, for example, that the town of Besednice is located, from which the renowned moldavite of the same name originates.

The most surprising fact? This region has an area of just 10,056 km² — only 12.8% of Czech territory. In other words, almost all the moldavite on the planet is concentrated in less than a seventh of the Czech Republic. For a complete picture of the finding locations, also see where moldavite is found.

02A magical land

With approximately 642,000 inhabitants and just 64 people per km², South Bohemia has the lowest population density in the entire country. It boasts 52 towns, some of which are famous for their simply splendid architecture.

The region extends into the basin of the Vltava River (the Moldau), the longest in the Czech Republic. It is no coincidence that in Czech, moldavite is called "vltavín", after the river's name: a term worth knowing if you visit the country (you can also find it in our guide to terminology).

South Bohemia is also famous for its over seven thousand ponds and lush forests: a truly enchanting landscape.

03The key Moldavite areas

The map below shows the Ries impact crater and the main areas where moldavite has been found: South Bohemia and Moravia (Czech Republic), Lusatia (Germany), and Austria. Very small quantities have also been found in Poland.

04The main localities in the Czech Republic

South Bohemia includes many finding fields: you might recognize some of these names, often used to identify the origin of a specimen.

Among the main ones: Brusná, Dolní Chrášťany, Jankov, Kvítkovice, Habří, Lipí, Slavče (near České Budějovice), Vrábče (Nová Hospoda locality), Bukovec, Krasejovka, Besednice, Slavče (near Trhové Sviny), Záluží, Žitná, Třebanice, Lhenice, Koroseky, Záhorčice, Holkov, Ločenice, Chlum nad Malší, Nesměň, Dobrkovská Lhotka, and Zatáčka. And there are many more, each named after the town or area of discovery.

Can you spot the famous Besednice on the map? Understanding the locality also helps in evaluating a piece: find out how in the 15-factor moldavite evaluation guide.

05How can you resist such a place?

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