Quiet living in Plzeň
Street noise is the most common reason people move out of a flat. Where Plzeň is quietest, how to read noise in the data and what the radon index of the ground says.
How we measure noise
We use the 2022 strategic noise map that the Ministry of Health produced for Plzeň: roads, trams, railways and industry, plus the main roads and railways from the national map. For each address we look at the loudest point within 20 metres of the building, usually the street façade, and check whether the all-day level Lden there reaches 60 dB or more. For the neighbourhood we then show what share of addresses that is. Each neighbourhood's page also shows the night noise Ln, which tells you well whether you'll sleep with the window open.
The quietest neighbourhoods
The fewest noisy addresses are in Újezd (20 %), Litice (21 %) and Koterov (28 %). They are usually neighbourhoods on the edge of the city, away from through roads and the railway.
The quietest neighbourhoods of Plzeň
- 20 % noisy addresses Újezd Plzeň 4
- 21 % noisy addresses Litice Plzeň 6-Litice
- 28 % noisy addresses Koterov Plzeň 2-Slovany
- 34 % noisy addresses Křimice Plzeň 5-Křimice
- 36 % noisy addresses Bolevec Plzeň 1
- 37 % noisy addresses Černice Plzeň 2-Slovany
- 39 % noisy addresses Božkov Plzeň 2-Slovany
- 40 % noisy addresses Doudlevce Plzeň 3
- 43 % noisy addresses Doubravka Plzeň 4
- 50 % noisy addresses Severní Předměstí Plzeň 1
The noisiest neighbourhoods
The most noisy addresses are in Vnitřní Město and the Předměstí around it, where trams, trolleybuses and busy roads run right between the buildings, and in the neighbourhoods by the main station and the arterial roads. You can find a quiet flat there, you just have to look more carefully, ideally with windows onto the courtyard.
Plzeň’s noisiest neighbourhoods
- 74 % noisy addresses Jižní Předměstí Plzeň 3
- 58 % noisy addresses Skvrňany Plzeň 3
- 56 % noisy addresses Východní Předměstí Plzeň 2-Slovany
- 55 % noisy addresses Lobzy Plzeň 4
- 50 % noisy addresses Severní Předměstí Plzeň 1
How to spot a quiet flat
- Windows onto the courtyard are the best protection. A bedroom facing a street with a tram is bearable only with good windows.
- Come when there is traffic. A viewing on a Saturday morning tells you nothing about the noise on a weekday.
- Trams and railways. A tram line is heard mostly when trams brake, on bends and at points; near a railway, ask about night freight trains.
- Industry. Next to large factory sites you can hear the work inside too; the noise map counts it, but only as an average.
Radon in the ground
Radon is a natural radioactive gas from the ground that you can neither see nor smell. It gets into a building through gaps in the floor and stays mostly in the cellar and on the ground floor. The Czech Geological Survey maps the radon index of the ground in three grades. Of Plzeň's addresses, 32 % lie on ground with a low index and 68 % on a medium one.
The highest share of addresses with a low index is in Nová Hospoda (98 %), Radobyčice (97 %) and Valcha (73 %). For a flat on a higher floor, radon from the ground is more of an indication. For a family house or a ground-floor flat on a medium index, a long-term measurement offered by the National Radiation Protection Institute makes sense.
The exact address decides
A neighbourhood is an average. A flat in a side street and one on a four-lane road can sound completely different in the same neighbourhood. Before you sign a contract, check the flat's own address: we show the noise at the building, the radon index of the ground, air quality, parks and the nearest schools.
Frequently asked questions
Which neighbourhood in Plzeň is the quietest?
By the strategic noise map, the smallest share of addresses with all-day noise above 60 dB is in Újezd (20 %), Litice (21 %) and Koterov (28 %).
What does Lden noise mean?
Lden is the average noise level over the whole day, in which evening noise counts 5 dB and night noise 10 dB more strictly because it disturbs more. That is why it comes out higher than daytime noise alone and can't be compared directly with the daytime health limits. We also show night noise, Ln, separately.
Is there radon in Plzeň?
By the Czech Geological Survey map, 32 % of Plzeň's addresses lie on ground with a low radon index and 68 % on a medium one; only a handful have a high index.
Is a flat facing the courtyard quieter?
Yes, often markedly. The noise map shows the noise at the loudest façade of the building, which usually faces the street. Windows onto an inner courtyard or a garden can be tens of decibels quieter.