Velké Bílovice

Velké Bílovice (Czech pronunciation: [ˈvɛlkɛː ˈbiːlovɪtsɛ]) (German: Groß Billowitz) is a town in Břeclav District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,900 inhabitants. It is located about 45 km southeast of Brno and 80 km northeast of Vienna. It is the largest grapevine-growing town in the Czech Republic with more than 760 hectares of officially registered vineyards.[2]

Velké Bílovice
Town
Velké Bílovice from the northeast
Flag
Coat of arms
Velké Bílovice
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 48°50′58″N 16°53′32″E
Country Czech Republic
RegionSouth Moravian
DistrictBřeclav
First mentioned1306
Government
 • MayorLenka Grofová
Area
 • Total25.73 km2 (9.93 sq mi)
Elevation
176 m (577 ft)
Population
 (2020-01-01[1])
 • Total3,889
 • Density150/km2 (390/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
691 02
Websitewww.velkebilovice.cz

History

The first written record of Velké Bílovice comes from 1306 but the area was settled much earlier. Houses of Liechtenstein and Zierotin were the most important owners in the history of Velké Bílovice. In the 16th century, group of Hutterites settled in the area, cultivated grapevine and built many large wine cellars.[3]

At the beginning of the 20th century, many citizens of Velké Bílovice migrated to Argentina, Canada and the United States.[3]

Velké Bílovice was officially promoted to a town in 2001.

Economy
Chapel on the Hradištěk Hill surrounded by vineyards

Velké Bílovice is known for viticulture and winemaking. The town boasts more than 650 privately owned wine cellars[4] located in 40 named cellar streets[5] and more than 766 hectares of vineyards (the largest area in the Czech Republic).[2]

Sights

There are two ponds in Velké Bílovice, Šísary and Velký Bílovec, which are used mainly for fishing.

Hutterite wine cellars are well known wine cellars. The biggest one was built around 1614 and is located near the pond Velký Bílovec in the direction of Čejkovice. Its current owner is the company Habánské sklepy.[6]

Town Museum is a museum with local folk costumes, many archaeological finds from the area, old farm tools and other things associated with the history of the town.[7]

Velké Bílovice viewed from the Hradištěk Hill

Hradištěk Hill is a distinctive landscape element with an excellent outlook. Under good weather conditions are visible Pálava upland, wind farms in Austria and even distant White Carpathian mountains. On the hilltop there is a chapel which is consecrated to four saints: St. Urban (patron saint of winemakers), St. Wenceslaus (patron saint of the Czech Lands) and Sts. Cyril and Methodius (patrons saint of Christianity in the Czech Lands).

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was built in late Baroque style in 1764–1765.[8]

Culture

Hody (The Feasts) is the most important folk festival in Velké Bílovice. It begins on the first Sunday after the Day of the Virgin Mary's Birth (September 8), patron saint of the local church, and continues till Tuesday. On the Saturday before the Feasts festive maypole is manually erected. The main celebration takes place on Sunday, when many visitors even from far away come to admire the folk costume parade, which is annually attended by more than 50 costumed couples.[9]

From wine cellar to wine cellar is a traditional cultural event, consisting of walking around wine cellars and tasting plenty of different varieties of wines from many different winemakers. It is regularly held on Saturday at the turn of March and April.[10]

Wine exhibition is a traditional social event since 1965. In the town cultural house, 600 to 900 wine samples of local winemakers and winemakers from the surrounding villages, especially from the Velkopavlovická wine-growing sub-region, are exhibited. It is held at the turn of April and May.[11]

Transport

Southwest of the town runs the D2 motorway with exit Velké Bílovice and Podivín.

The nearest railway station is located 3 km away in Podivín.

Local government

Since 2018 the mayor is Lenka Grofová (Independent Candidates).[12] The town council has 15 members (8 for Independent Candidates, 4 for Association of Independents for the Town and 3 for coalition of KDU-ČSL and TOP 09).[13]

Notable people
  • Libor Zapletal (1920–1944), soldier and member of the airdrop Bivouac

Twin towns – sister cities
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic

Velké Bílovice is twinned with:[14]

  • Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary
  • The road between the vineyards leading to the chapel
  • Vineyard in the north of Velké Bílovice

References
  1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2020". Czech Statistical Office. 30 April 2020.
  2. "Situační a výhledová zpráva: Réva vinná a víno" (PDF) (in Czech). Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic. 2019. p. 83. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  3. "Dějiny Velkých Bílovic". velkebilovice.cz (in Czech). Město Velké Bílovice. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  4. "Obecné údaje". velkebilovice.cz (in Czech). Město Velké Bílovice. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  5. "Mapa vinných sklepů". velkobilovictivinari.cz (in Czech). Velkobílovičtí vinaři. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  6. "Habánské sklepy". velkebilovice.cz (in Czech). Město Velké Bílovice. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  7. "Vlastivědné muzeum". velkebilovice.cz (in Czech). Město Velké Bílovice. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  8. "Farní kostel". velkebilovice.cz (in Czech). Město Velké Bílovice. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  9. "Tradiční krojované hody". velkebilovice.cz (in Czech). Město Velké Bílovice. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  10. "Putování za vínem – ze sklepa do sklepa". velkebilovice.cz (in Czech). Město Velké Bílovice. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  11. "Výstava vín". velkebilovice.cz (in Czech). Město Velké Bílovice. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  12. Velké Bílovice will be led by a woman again. The ending mayor Vlková will remain in the town council. (in Czech)
  13. iDnes.cz - Municipal elections 2018 (in Czech)
  14. "Partnerská města". velkebilovice.cz (in Czech). Město Velké Bílovice. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
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