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

The highest point is the hill Boudovka at 729 m (2,392 ft) above sea level, located in the southern (Bohemian Forest Foothills) exclave.

The first written mention of Klatovy is from 1253, when it was a small settlement on a trade route from Bohemia to Bavaria.

In the early 19th century, part of the fortifications were demolished and the town changed its architectural face.

[6] In 1942, Klatovy was the centre of the resistance movement, which was harshly suppressed by the execution of 73 patriots in the Spálený Forest at the time of Reinhard Heydrich.

[7] In 1945, some parts of the town were badly damaged by bombing, and the railway station building was completely destroyed.

Historically, Klatovy is connected with the textile, leather, wood, engineering and food industries.

[11] The largest employer in the town is a branch of the Rodenstock GmbH company, which manufactures spectacle lenses here.

Since 1813, a large number of brightly colored varieties have been bred here, which successfully represented Klatovy at many world exhibitions.

Klatovy is the starting point of the traditional Král Šumavy ("King of the Bohemian Forest") cycling marathon, which has been held since 1993.

The best-preserved part of the fortifications is located on the eastern side of the historic town centre, where there are two circular bastions.

The last major reconstruction in the Neo-Renaissance style took place in 1923–1925 based on the project of the architect Josef Fanta.

[4] The Jesuit Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary and of Saint Ignatiusis was built in the early Baroque style in 1655–1679.

[4] The Dominican monastery with the Church of Saint Lawrence were founded in the 14th century, but they were burned down during the Hussite Wars in 1419.

Renaissance and baroque modifications were made during the building's history, then it was regotized by Josef Fanta in 1898–1908.