Nečtiny Castle has served as a field classroom for students from the UWB for 30 years

Students from the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the University of West Bohemia have gathered yearly at Nečtiny Castle in northern Pilsen for three decades. At the end of June and the beginning of July, geomatics and civil engineering students use the historic grounds for field measurements.

The castle and its surroundings offer ideal conditions for teaching students of the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (FAV UWB) – diverse terrain, buildings, a quiet location, and a network of geodetic points. The practical exercises are tailored to second and fourth-year students and cover various techniques. Field measurements are a key part of their professional training. "Students test various surveying methods here, such as mapping planimetry and altimetry, or precise levelling. The course also includes an introduction to the functioning of the global navigation satellite system," said Michal Kepka from the Department of Geomatics, describing the course content.

While geomatics students have already completed measurements in the busy university campus, this is usually their first contact with practice in a quiet natural environment for civil engineering students. In their experience, this helps them to concentrate better and work together more effectively: "The facilities and grounds were nice, and I enjoyed the course. I gained a lot of new knowledge and learned to work in a team where everyone has a clearly assigned role and job description, which will certainly be useful in real life. Although we were tackling the assigned tasks for the first time in our lives and the emphasis was on care and precision, we successfully mastered everything under the guidance of the teachers," said Martin Duspiva, a civil engineering student, evaluating the course.

Nečtiny Castle in northern Pilsen serves as a training and accommodation center for the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. There are 39 rooms with a total of 134 beds available for employees, students, companies, and members of the public. The complex also includes a conference hall, indoor gym, outdoor multipurpose playground, infrared sauna, garden terrace, electric bike and scooter rental.

Nečtiny is also located in one of only three areas of so-called dark sky in the Czech Republic, which is valuable for teaching space geodesy. "We have already used the unique location of Nečtiny several times in the past to observe the night sky without unwanted light pollution," said Pavel Hájek from the Department of Geomatics. The castle is not only a center for professional education, but also a popular tourist destination. Tourists from all over the country come to Nečtiny for the same experience and attractions in the surrounding area, such as the ruins of Preitenstein Castle.