Bezděz () is a municipality and village in

Česká Lípa District Česká Lípa District () is a Okres, district in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Česká Lípa. Administrative division Česká Lípa District is divided into two Districts of the Czech Republic#Municipalities ...

in the

Liberec Region Liberec Region () is an administrative unit (Czech language, Czech: ''kraj'') of the Czech Republic, located in the northernmost part of its historical region of Bohemia. It is named after its capital Liberec. The region shares international bor ...

of the

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

. It has about 400 inhabitants. It is known for the ruin of the medieval

Bezděz Castle Bezděz Castle () is a Gothic castle in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It is located about southeast of Česká Lípa. Its construction began before 1264 by order of King Ottokar II of Bohemia. The royal castle of Bezděz was one o ...

, protected as a national cultural monument.

Etymology

The name Bezděz is derived from the personal name Bezděd (Besdeth), meaning "Bezděd's (property)".

Geography

Bezděz is located about southeast of

Česká Lípa Česká Lípa (; ) is a town in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 37,000 inhabitants, making it the most populated Czech town without city status. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monume ...

and southwest of

Liberec Liberec (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 108,000 inhabitants, making it the fifth largest city in the country. It lies on the Lusatian Neisse River, in a basin surrounded by mountains. The city centre is well preserved and is pr ...

. It lies mostly in the

Ralsko Uplands The Ralsko Uplands () are highland, uplands and a Geomorphological division of the Czech Republic, geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located in the Liberec Region, Liberec, Ústí nad Labem Region, Ústí nad Labem and Centr ...

, only the southeastern part of the municipal territory extends into the

Jizera Table The Jizera Table () is a plateau and a geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located mostly in the Central Bohemian Region, northeast of Prague. Geomorphology The Jizera Table is a mesoregion of the Central Bohemian Table wit ...

. The highest point is the hill Bezděz at above sea level. Most of the territory lies within the Kokořínsko – Máchův kraj Protected Landscape Area.

History

The first written mention of Bezděz is from 1264. In 1291 or 1293, the village was promoted to a town, but it lost its town privileges after

Bělá pod Bezdězem Bělá pod Bezdězem () is a town in Mladá Boleslav District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,800 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic) ...

was founded in 1304. In 1898, the village was severely damaged by fire.

Demographics

Economy

There are almost no job opportunities in the municipality, most residents commute to work in nearby towns.

Transport

The I/38 road (the section which connects

Mladá Boleslav Mladá Boleslav (; ) is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 47,000 inhabitants. It lies on the left bank of the Jizera (river), Jizera River. Mladá Boleslav is the second most populated city in the region. I ...

with

) passes through the municipality. The railway line

Kolín Kolín (; ) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument reservations, urban monume ...

–

Rumburk Rumburk (; ) is a town in Děčín District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 11,000 inhabitants. It lies on the border with Germany. Administrative division Rumburk consists of three municipal parts (in brackets ...

briefly crosses the municipal territory. The train station ''Bezděz'' is located just outside the municipality.

Sights

Bezděz is known for the

. The well-preserved ruin of the Gothic castle is one of the most important monuments of the whole region, protected as a national cultural monument. The Church of Saint Giles dates from the end of the 13th century at the latest and has a Romanesque core. It was baroque rebuilt in 1764–1769, when the tower was added. The interior is equipped with valuable late Baroque and Rococo furniture.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bezdez Villages in Česká Lípa District