Velké Opatovice

Velké Opatovice (German: Groß Opatowitz) is a town in Blansko District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has a population of about 3,600.

Velké Opatovice
Town
Velké Opatovice Castle
Flag
Coat of arms
Velké Opatovice
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°36′45″N 16°40′46″E
Country Czech Republic
RegionSouth Moravian
DistrictBlansko
First mentioned1308
Town parts
Government
 • MayorKateřina Gerbrichová
Area
 • Total25.93 km2 (10.01 sq mi)
Elevation
376 m (1,234 ft)
Population
 (2020-01-01[1])
 • Total3,643
 • Density140/km2 (360/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
679 63
Websitewww.velkeopatovice.cz

Velké Opatovice is situated about 260 km southeast of Prague and 120 km north of Vienna.

Administrative parts

Villages Bezďečí, Brťov, Korbelova Lhota, Svárov and Velká Roudka are administrative parts of Velké Opatovice.

History

The first evidence of the settlement dates to 1308, when a contract shows the purchase of a town called Opatovice by the nearby Cimburk castle, today a ruin. The 'Velké' part of the name (meaning "great") was added in 1888, and the town became a town in 1969. The most significant estates in Velké Opatovice are those of the Vězník, Salm, and Herberštein families.

Economy

Residents are self-employed or work in small businesses including the local butchers, florists, sweetshop, and construction company.

Sights

Castle

The town's baroque castle dates to 1757. It belonged to the Salm family, and passed to the Herbersteins in the late 18th century. The Herbersteins added the castle's neobaroque tower. The castle passed to municipal control after 1945, and it was damaged by a fire that destroyed one block in 1978. The castle now serves as the town museum, with a memorial hall devoted to academic sculptor Carl Otáhal who lived in Velké Opatovice for 30 years. In 2007, the burnt part of the building was replaced with an elliptical auditorium. The castles grounds include beautiful parkland containing plant and animal species and a statue of Bedřich Smetana.

Church of St. George

The town's major church is of interest for its baroque decoration and altar relief of St. George fighting the dragon. The church was built in the late 18th century on the site of a 14th-century Gothic temple.

Cartographic centre

The centre hosts a permanent exhibition on the historical development of cartography. Subjects include the philosophy entailed in imagery of the Earth's surface on maps, and the history of the production of maps. The main auditorium displays a giant relief-map of historical Moravia and Silesia.

Opatovice fortified settlement

1.5 km south of the town stand the remnants of a 513m tall Bronze Age building. In the rockface below the sculptor Karel Otáhal inscribed relief texts by the poet Petr Bezruč and the composer J.B. Foerst.

Nature

At nearby Velká Roudka is the František's spring, which produces drinkable water, and the remainder of an abandoned spa founded in 1839.

Near the village of Svárov is a rock formation called the "stone wedding." Local legend holds that the standing stones there are petrified guests from a wedding, cursed by the chef who was making the wedding dinner and was angry that they were late.

Transport

Public transport is provided by buses.

Culture

The town is served by several restaurants and pubs. Also within the castle grounds is the town cinema. A community centre in the centre of the town hosts balls, meetings, tourism events, and dances.

As well as the town museum located in the castle, Velké Opatovice has a gallery devoted to sculptor Karel Otáhal, the creator of a lifesize statue of Smetana located in the castle grounds. The gallery displays over 40 of his busts and many drawings.

The town's major annual event is a summer jazz festival held each July, hosting Czech and international bands. July also sees the firemen's beer festival, a weekend-long programme of food, drink, and music. St. George's Fair is celebrated on April 27, featuring fairground attractions, music at the community centre, family gatherings, and traditional dress.

Sport

A football field hosts matches every Sunday. The town's team holds an annual friendly football match against a team from Croatia, and a local factory has an annual friendly against a company from Germany and the Netherlands. Other facilities include tennis courts and the school sports hall, and women's aerobic classes are held at the community centre.

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

Velké Opatovice is twinned with:[2]

References
  1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2020". Czech Statistical Office. 2020-04-30.
  2. "Partnerská města". velkeopatovice.cz (in Czech). Město Velké Opatovice. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
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