The village Římov is a very well-known and important South Bohemian pilgrimage place. It is situated about 14 km south of the town České Budějovice on the Malše river, 480 m a.s.l.
Its history dates back to the 10th century, but the first mention comes from 1383 - it reports about Horní Římov settlement (Upper Římov). The free fortress in Dolní Římov (Lower Římov) is first mentioned in 1395. From 1626 the village belonged to the Jesuits from Český Krumlov. The pilgrimage place with the Loretto Chapel and with the Stations of the Cross arose here in the second half of the 17th century by the idea of Jesuit Jan Gurr.
The Loretto Chapel was built in Římov between 1648 - 1653 and it is an authentic copy of the famous Loretto in Italy. It was the third one in Bohemia. In each of its corners there are altars. Around the chapel there is a cloister with richly painted and decorated walls and arches.
The Church of the Holy Ghost was founded a short time after the Loretto Chapel. The rotunda in the Baroque style dates from 1762.
Around the chapel, in radius about 5 km, we can find 25 small Baroque chapels of the Stations of the Cross (so-called Římov's Passion) with wooden statues. The chapels originate from the second half of the 17th and the first quarter of the 18th century. Their positions in the terrain corresponded with the traditional placement of Stations of the Cross in Jerusalem.
The Římov Dam was built on the outskirts of Římov on the Malše river.
The instructional trail Křížová Cesta v Římově (Stations of the Cross in Římov - about 6 km long) leads round the village along the Stations of the Cross.