Velké Březno (german: Großpriesen) is a municipality and village in

Ústí nad Labem District Ústí nad Labem District ( cs, okres Ústí nad Labem) is one of seven districts ('' okres'') located within the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the city of Ústí nad Labem. Complete list of municipalities Chabařov ...

in the

Ústí nad Labem Region Ústí nad Labem Region or Ústecký Region ( cs, Ústecký kraj, , ), is an administrative unit ( cs, kraj) of the Czech Republic, located in the north-western part of the historical land of Bohemia, and named after the capital, Ústí nad Labem ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

. It has about 2,400 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The village of Valtířov is an administrative part of Velké Březno.

Etymology

The name Březno is derived from ''březový les'' (i.e. 'birch forest'). From the 15th century, the attribute ''Velké'' ('great') is used.

Geography

Velké Březno is located about east of

Ústí nad Labem Ústí nad Labem (, , ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 92,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of its eponymous region and district. It is a major industrial centre and, besides being an active river port, is an important railway ju ...

. It lies in

Central Bohemian Uplands Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

and in the eponymous protected landscape area. The highest point is the hill Kočičí vrch at above sea level. The municipality is situated on the right bank of the

Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...

river.

History

The first written mention of Velké Březno is from 1167, when the area became property of the

Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...

. At the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, Velké Březno was acquired by the Wartenberg family. For financial reasons they were forced to sell the village in 1520 to the Salhausen family, then the owners often changed. In 1712–1841, the estate was a property of Counts of Harrach. The last noble owners of Velké Březno were the

Chotek family The House of Chotek was an old and influential Czech noble family in the Kingdom of Bohemia, whose members occupied many important positions within Holy Roman Empire and later in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. History The family is first docume ...

. They had rebuilt the old castle and then had built a new one.

Demographics

Economy

Velké Březno is known for its brewery, which produces beer under the brand

Březňák Březňák is a brand of a pilsner-type beer produced in Velké Březno near Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic. It has been brewed since 1753. Since 2008, the Velké Březno Brewery is owned by the Heineken International group. Products *Březň ...

. Today the brewery is owned by

Heineken N.V. Heineken N.V. () is a Dutch multinational brewing company, founded in 1864 by Gerard Adriaan Heineken in Amsterdam. , Heineken owns over 165 breweries in more than 70 countries. It produces 348 international, regional, local and speciality be ...

Transport

Velké Březno is located on the railway line Ústí nad Labem–

Děčín Děčín (; german: Tetschen, 1942–1945: ''Tetschen–Bodenbach'') is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 47,000 inhabitants. It is the 7th largest municipality in the country by area. Administrative parts D ...

Sights

The main landmark of Velké Březno is the Velké Březno Castle. It was built in the Neoclassical style in 1842–1845 according to the design by

Ludwig Förster Ludwig Christian Friedrich (von) Förster (8 October 1797 in Ansbach – 16 June 1863 in Bad Gleichenberg, Styria) was a German-born Austrian architect. While he was not Jewish, he is known for building Jewish synagogues and churches. Ludwig F ...

. In 1885, it was rebuilt in the Neo-Renaissance style. The castle is surrounded by a park. Today the castle is owned by the state. It is open to the public and offers guided tours. The Old Castle (also called Lower Castle) was probably originally a fortress from second half of the 15th century, rebuilt after 1528 into a small aristocratic Renaissance residence. After 1841, the castle was rebuilt and was raised by a floor. Today it houses a retirement home. The Church of Saint Wenceslaus is located in Valtířov. It was built in the Gothic-Renaissance style in 1573–1574 on the site of an older church from the 14th century. It is valuable because of its authentically preserved form. Next to the church is the brick neo-Gothic tomb of the Chotek family from 1869.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Velke Brezno Villages in Ústí nad Labem District