Měcholupy (Louny District)

Měcholupy (German: Michelob) is a market town in Louny District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,000 inhabitants.

Měcholupy
Market town
Měcholupy Castle
Flag Coat of arms
Měcholupy Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°16′0″N 13°32′15″E / 50.26667°N 13.53750°E / 50.26667; 13.53750
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Ústí nad Labem
District	Louny
First mentioned	1295
Area
• Total	29.17 km^2 (11.26 sq mi)
Elevation	253 m (830 ft)
Population  (2023-01-01)^[1]
• Total	993
• Density	34/km^2 (88/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	439 31
Website	www.mecholupy-sc.cz

Administrative parts

Villages of Milošice, Velká Černoc and Želeč are administrative parts of Měcholupy.

Geography

Měcholupy is located about 21 kilometres (13 mi) southwest of Louny, 55 km (34 mi) southwest of Ústí nad Labem, and 60 km (37 mi) northwest of Prague. The northern part of the municipal territory lies in the Most Basin. The southern part lies in the Rakovník Uplands and includes the highest point of Měcholupy at 433 metres (1,421 ft) above sea level. The market town is situated on the Blšanka river.

History

 

Building of the former brewery

The first written mention of Měcholupy is from 1295.^[2] Among the owners of the village were King Vladislaus II of Hungary, the Sekera od Sedčice family, and members of the dynasties of Kolowrat and Lobkowicz.^[3] At the end of the 17th century, during the rule of Karl of Paar, the local fortress was rebuilt into a Baroque castle with a chapel.^[2]

In 1860, Anton Dreher bought Měcholupy, established a new brewery and had rebuilt the castle into its current appearance. The village was promoted to a market town in 1875.^[3] The Michelob beer brand of Anheuser-Busch was introduced in 1896 and was named after the German name of Měcholupy.^[4]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 2,216 —     1880 2,406 +8.6% 1890 2,412 +0.2% 1900 2,600 +7.8% 1910 2,627 +1.0%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 2,404 −8.5% 1930 2,509 +4.4% 1950 1,243 −50.5% 1961 1,283 +3.2% 1970 1,178 −8.2%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 1,141 −3.1% 1991 945 −17.2% 2001 1,045 +10.6% 2011 918 −12.2% 2021 930 +1.3%
Source: Censuses^[5]^[6]

Economy

Měcholupy is located in an area known for growing the Saaz hops.

Transport

Měcholupy lies on a railway line heading from Jirkov and Chomutov to Lužná. There are two stations and stops: Měcholupy and Želeč.

Sights

 

Centre of Želeč with the castle

Today the Měcholupy Castle serves as a special school.^[2]

In the centre of Želeč are a late Baroque castle and the Church of Saint Nicholas.^[2] It is a Baroque church from 1750. The tower was added in 1842.^[7]

The Church of Saint Wenceslaus in Velká Černoc was built in the Baroque style in 1783–1787.^[2]

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2023". Czech Statistical Office. 2023-05-23.
2. "Měcholupy" (in Czech). Mikroregion Žatecko. Retrieved 2022-09-06.
3. "Měcholupy" (in Czech). Městys Měcholupy. Retrieved 2022-09-06.
4. "Michelob – American Beer of Czech Origin". Beerena. 2022-07-28. Retrieved 2022-09-06.
5. "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011 – Okres Louny" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21. pp. 7–8.
6. "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
7. "Kostel sv. Mikuláše" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-06-21.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Měcholupy (Louny District).

• Official website