The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as urban monument zone.

Dobřany consists of three municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):[2] The term dobřani (derived from the Czech word dobrý, i.e. 'good') referred to people who live near good (clear) water or good (fertile) soil.

Dobřany benefited from a favorable location and was a market centre for a wide area, although its importance decreased with the founding of the new city of Plzeň in 1295.

Due to the ecclesiastical authority, Dobřany remained Catholic even during the growing Reformation.

[4] From 1938 to 1945, Dobřany was annexed by Nazi Germany and administered as part of the Reichsgau Sudetenland.

[7] The D5 motorway from Plzeň to the Czech-German border passes through the northern part of the municipal territory.

[11] The Baroque stone bridge over the Radbuza has a Gothic core and was first documented in the second half of the 16th century.