Náchod (Czech pronunciation: [ˈnaːxot]; German: Nachod) is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants. It is known both as a tourist destination and centre of industry. The historic town centre with the castle complex is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.
Town parts and villages of Babí, Běloves, Bražec, Dobrošov, Jizbice, Lipí, Malé Poříčí, Pavlišov and Staré Město nad Metují are administrative parts of Náchod.
Geography
Náchod is located about 31 kilometres (19 mi) northeast of Hradec Králové, on the border with Poland. It lies in the northern tip of the Orlické Foothills. The highest point of the municipal territory is the hill Malinová hora with an altitude of 637 m (2,090 ft). The town is situated in the valley of the Metuje river. There are two ponds in the northwestern part of the territory, Podborný and Odkaliště.
History
Nachod square and castle in c. 1740
The predecessor of Náchod was a settlement called Branka (meaning "Gate") near the land gate, located in the area today known as Staré Město ("Old Town") with the Church of Saint John the Baptist from the 13th century. Knight Hron of Načeradec founded a castle and then a town below the castle in the mid-13th century to protect the territory through which an old trade route from Prague to Kłodzko Land passed. The first written mention of Náchod is from 1254. The town was fortified with walls and bastions in the early 14th century.[2][3]
Owners of the castle included kings John of Bohemia and George of Poděbrady. During the Hussite Wars, Náchod was conquered and owned by the Hussites. Over time the castle grew into a large fortress. The powerful and rich Smiřický family acquired the estate in 1544 and had the castle rebuilt into a comfortable Renaissance residence; the town also flourished at the time, and was endowed with privileges almost equal to royal towns.[2][3]
The Thirty Years' War put an end to the prosperity of the town. The properties of the Smiřický family, who had been loyal to King Frederick V, were seized by the imperial treasury after the Battle of the White Mountain and sold to the House of Trčka of Lípa in 1623. When Adam Erdman Trčka was assassinated together with his brother-in-law Albrecht von Wallenstein in Cheb in 1634, the domain was seized again and donated by the Emperor to his general Ottavio Piccolomini, later Duke of Amalfi. Thus the town fell into the hands of the Italian family, suffered from military operations and forced re-catholicization, but also enjoyed some development: the castle was grandly rebuilt in the Baroque style and the first street in the town was paved in 1638. After the fire of 1663, a new town hall was built and the Church of St. Lawrence on the square was rebuilt. The burgesses were also granted some privileges.[2][3]
The Piccolominis extinct in 1783, the Náchod domain was inherited by the Desfours family and sold in 1792 to Duke Peter von Biron of Courland and Sagan, who established a theatre on the castle and significantly improved overall the level of cultural life in Náchod.[2][3]
When the duke died in 1800, his eldest daughter Katharina Wilhelmine (1781–1839) inherited Náchod and the Duchy of Sagan. After her death, the princes of Schaumburg-Lippe (in today's Lower Saxony) bought Náchod and held the castle till 1945, though the domain system was abolished in the reform of 1849 and succeeded by public administration districts.[2][3]
Beside the district administration and district court, the reform brought about an elected town council, fast development of industry and schools, and a building boom that included the Neo-Renaissance town hall and Art Nouveau theatre. The railway was also built and from 1882, when two factories were established, the textile industry quickly developed. Náchod became the cotton industry centre of Austria-Hungary. At the beginning of the 20th century, Náchod was nicknamed "Manchester of the east".[3]
Extensive border fortifications were built in and around Náchod in the years prior to World War II to protect the territory of Czechoslovakia against the threat of German invasion.[4] As Náchod had virtually no ethnic German population, it did not suffer from the massive deportations after World War II.
The service sector is the major employer in Náchod. Revenues from tourism are crucial for the economy of the town and the whole region. The largest employer based in the town is the hospital. The largest industrial companies are ATAS elektromotory Náchod and Ametek elektromotory, both producers of electric motors, and the rubber factory of Rubena Náchod.[7]
The tradition of textile industry is held by the last surviving cotton-weaving mill Bartoň – textil, founded in 1867.[8] Long tradition has also the Primátor Brewery, founded in 1872.[9]
Transport
Náchod lies on the railway line of regional importance from Hradec Králové to Broumov. The town is served by three stations and stops.
There is the road border crossing Náchod / Kudowa Słone.
Sights
Aerial view of Náchod Castle
Church of Saint Lawrence and New Town Hall
Náchod Castle
Náchod Castle is the main landmark of the town. Since 1945, the castle is owned by the state. The interiors are open to the public, its exhibits include collections from Prince Ottavio Piccolomini's time (e.g. tapestries) or phaleristic and numismatic collections.[10] Other sights include Gothic cellars and the observation tower (keep), and a moat with bears, which is the largest bear enclosure in the country.[11]
Ecclesiastical buildings
The Church of Saint Lawrence is located in the middle of Masarykovo Square in the historic town centre. It was first mentioned in 1350 and rebuilt in 1570–1578.[12]
The Church of Saint Michael the Archangel was built in 1709–1716 in the Baroque style.[13]
The Church of Saint John the Baptist in Staré Město nad Metují was built in the Gothic style in the 13th century and reconstructed in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Since 1791, it is only a cemetery church.[14]
Spa
The village of Běloves was known for its spa. The first mention of the healing water is from 1392. The spa was founded in 1818 and closed in 1996.[15] Although the spa complex is in a desolate state, a small colonnade with two mineral springs and permanent exhibition on the history of spa was built by the town and opened in December 2019.[16]
náchod, czech, pronunciation, ˈnaːxot, german, nachod, town, hradec, králové, region, czech, republic, about, inhabitants, known, both, tourist, destination, centre, industry, historic, town, centre, with, castle, complex, well, preserved, protected, urban, mo. Nachod Czech pronunciation ˈnaːxot German Nachod is a town in the Hradec Kralove Region of the Czech Republic It has about 20 000 inhabitants It is known both as a tourist destination and centre of industry The historic town centre with the castle complex is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone NachodTownView from the castleFlagCoat of armsNachodLocation in the Czech RepublicCoordinates 50 25 1 N 16 9 47 E 50 41694 N 16 16306 E 50 41694 16 16306Country Czech RepublicRegionHradec KraloveDistrictNachodFirst mentioned1254Government MayorJan Birke CSSD Area Total33 34 km2 12 87 sq mi Elevation346 m 1 135 ft Population 2023 01 01 1 Total19 936 Density600 km2 1 500 sq mi Time zoneUTC 1 CET Summer DST UTC 2 CEST Postal code547 01Websitewww wbr mestonachod wbr cz Contents 1 Administrative parts 2 Geography 3 History 4 Demographics 5 Economy 6 Transport 7 Sights 7 1 Nachod Castle 7 2 Ecclesiastical buildings 7 3 Spa 8 Notable people 9 Twin towns sister cities 10 Gallery 11 References 12 External linksAdministrative parts Edit Stare Mesto nad Metuji Town parts and villages of Babi Beloves Brazec Dobrosov Jizbice Lipi Male Porici Pavlisov and Stare Mesto nad Metuji are administrative parts of Nachod Geography EditNachod is located about 31 kilometres 19 mi northeast of Hradec Kralove on the border with Poland It lies in the northern tip of the Orlicke Foothills The highest point of the municipal territory is the hill Malinova hora with an altitude of 637 m 2 090 ft The town is situated in the valley of the Metuje river There are two ponds in the northwestern part of the territory Podborny and Odkaliste History Edit Nachod square and castle in c 1740 The predecessor of Nachod was a settlement called Branka meaning Gate near the land gate located in the area today known as Stare Mesto Old Town with the Church of Saint John the Baptist from the 13th century Knight Hron of Naceradec founded a castle and then a town below the castle in the mid 13th century to protect the territory through which an old trade route from Prague to Klodzko Land passed The first written mention of Nachod is from 1254 The town was fortified with walls and bastions in the early 14th century 2 3 Owners of the castle included kings John of Bohemia and George of Podebrady During the Hussite Wars Nachod was conquered and owned by the Hussites Over time the castle grew into a large fortress The powerful and rich Smiricky family acquired the estate in 1544 and had the castle rebuilt into a comfortable Renaissance residence the town also flourished at the time and was endowed with privileges almost equal to royal towns 2 3 The Thirty Years War put an end to the prosperity of the town The properties of the Smiricky family who had been loyal to King Frederick V were seized by the imperial treasury after the Battle of the White Mountain and sold to the House of Trcka of Lipa in 1623 When Adam Erdman Trcka was assassinated together with his brother in law Albrecht von Wallenstein in Cheb in 1634 the domain was seized again and donated by the Emperor to his general Ottavio Piccolomini later Duke of Amalfi Thus the town fell into the hands of the Italian family suffered from military operations and forced re catholicization but also enjoyed some development the castle was grandly rebuilt in the Baroque style and the first street in the town was paved in 1638 After the fire of 1663 a new town hall was built and the Church of St Lawrence on the square was rebuilt The burgesses were also granted some privileges 2 3 The Piccolominis extinct in 1783 the Nachod domain was inherited by the Desfours family and sold in 1792 to Duke Peter von Biron of Courland and Sagan who established a theatre on the castle and significantly improved overall the level of cultural life in Nachod 2 3 When the duke died in 1800 his eldest daughter Katharina Wilhelmine 1781 1839 inherited Nachod and the Duchy of Sagan After her death the princes of Schaumburg Lippe in today s Lower Saxony bought Nachod and held the castle till 1945 though the domain system was abolished in the reform of 1849 and succeeded by public administration districts 2 3 Beside the district administration and district court the reform brought about an elected town council fast development of industry and schools and a building boom that included the Neo Renaissance town hall and Art Nouveau theatre The railway was also built and from 1882 when two factories were established the textile industry quickly developed Nachod became the cotton industry centre of Austria Hungary At the beginning of the 20th century Nachod was nicknamed Manchester of the east 3 Extensive border fortifications were built in and around Nachod in the years prior to World War II to protect the territory of Czechoslovakia against the threat of German invasion 4 As Nachod had virtually no ethnic German population it did not suffer from the massive deportations after World War II Demographics EditHistorical populationYearPop 18696 757 18807 057 4 4 189010 481 48 5 190015 004 43 2 191018 128 20 8 YearPop 192116 807 7 3 193018 535 10 3 195018 562 0 1 196118 846 1 5 197019 729 4 7 YearPop 198020 713 5 0 199120 712 0 0 200121 400 3 3 201120 394 4 7 202119 061 6 5 Source Censuses 5 6 Economy EditThe service sector is the major employer in Nachod Revenues from tourism are crucial for the economy of the town and the whole region The largest employer based in the town is the hospital The largest industrial companies are ATAS elektromotory Nachod and Ametek elektromotory both producers of electric motors and the rubber factory of Rubena Nachod 7 The tradition of textile industry is held by the last surviving cotton weaving mill Barton textil founded in 1867 8 Long tradition has also the Primator Brewery founded in 1872 9 Transport EditNachod lies on the railway line of regional importance from Hradec Kralove to Broumov The town is served by three stations and stops There is the road border crossing Nachod Kudowa Slone Sights Edit Aerial view of Nachod Castle Church of Saint Lawrence and New Town Hall Nachod Castle Edit Nachod Castle is the main landmark of the town Since 1945 the castle is owned by the state The interiors are open to the public its exhibits include collections from Prince Ottavio Piccolomini s time e g tapestries or phaleristic and numismatic collections 10 Other sights include Gothic cellars and the observation tower keep and a moat with bears which is the largest bear enclosure in the country 11 Ecclesiastical buildings Edit The Church of Saint Lawrence is located in the middle of Masarykovo Square in the historic town centre It was first mentioned in 1350 and rebuilt in 1570 1578 12 The Church of Saint Michael the Archangel was built in 1709 1716 in the Baroque style 13 The Church of Saint John the Baptist in Stare Mesto nad Metuji was built in the Gothic style in the 13th century and reconstructed in the 16th 17th and 18th centuries Since 1791 it is only a cemetery church 14 Spa Edit The village of Beloves was known for its spa The first mention of the healing water is from 1392 The spa was founded in 1818 and closed in 1996 15 Although the spa complex is in a desolate state a small colonnade with two mineral springs and permanent exhibition on the history of spa was built by the town and opened in December 2019 16 Notable people EditJan Letzel 1880 1925 architect Jan Roth 1899 1972 cinematographer Vaclav Cerny 1905 1987 literary scholar and writer Josef Tyfa 1913 2007 type designer Luba Skorepova 1923 2016 actress Josef Skvorecky 1924 2012 writer Petr Skrabanek 1940 1994 physician Josef Tosovsky born 1950 economist and former prime minister Vaclav Kotal born 1952 football player and manager Libor Michalek born 1968 economist and politician Vratislav Lokvenc born 1973 footballer Pavel Belobradek born 1976 politician Martin Stepanek born 1977 freediver Petr Schwarz born 1991 footballerTwin towns sister cities EditSee also List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic Nachod is twinned with 17 Bauska Latvia Halberstadt Germany Kudowa Zdroj Poland Klodzko Poland Partizanske Slovakia Persan France Tiachiv Ukraine Warrington England United KingdomGallery Edit Nachod Castle Nachod Castle New Town Hall Hotel and theatre U Beranka Church of Saint Michael the ArchangelReferences Edit Population of Municipalities 1 January 2023 Czech Statistical Office 2023 05 23 a b c d e History Nachod Castle Retrieved 2021 09 29 a b c d e f Historie mesta in Czech Mesto Nachod Retrieved 2021 09 29 Nachodskou Brankou nepritel neprojde in Czech Klub vojenske historie Nachod Retrieved 2023 06 25 Historicky lexikon obci Ceske republiky 1869 2011 Okres Nachod in Czech Czech Statistical Office 2015 12 21 pp 9 10 Population Census 2021 Population by sex Public Database Czech Statistical Office 2021 03 27 Registr ekonomickych subjektu Business Register in Czech Czech Statistical Office Retrieved 2023 06 25 O firme Historie in Czech Barton textil a s Retrieved 2021 09 29 Historie pivovaru in Czech Primator Brewery Retrieved 2021 09 29 Nachodsky zamek in Czech Mesto Nachod Retrieved 2021 09 29 About Nachod Castle Nachod Castle Retrieved 2021 09 29 Kostel sv Vavrince in Czech Mesto Nachod Retrieved 2021 09 29 Kostelik sv Michala in Czech Mesto Nachod Retrieved 2021 09 29 Hrbitovni kostel sv Jana Krtitele in Czech Mesto Nachod Retrieved 2021 09 29 Lazne Beloves v Nachode in Czech Kudy z nudy Retrieved 2021 09 29 Male lazne Beloves in Czech Sprava prirodnich zdroju a lazni Beloves Retrieved 2021 09 29 Partnerska mesta in Czech Mesto Nachod Retrieved 2021 09 29 External links Edit Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica article Nachod Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nachod Official website Nachod Castle official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nachod amp oldid 1161856046, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
