Bítov () is a municipality and village in

Znojmo District Znojmo District () is a district in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Znojmo. Administrative division Znojmo District is divided into two administrative districts of municipalities with extended competenc ...

in the

South Moravian Region The South Moravian Region (; , ; ), or just South Moravia, is an Regions of the Czech Republic, administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the south-western part of its historical region of Moravia. The region's capital is Brno, th ...

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 100 inhabitants.

Geography

Bítov is located about northwest of

Znojmo Znojmo (; ) is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 34,000 inhabitants. Znojmo is the historical and cultural centre of southwestern Moravia and the second most populated town in the South Moravian Region. The hi ...

and southwest of

Brno Brno ( , ; ) is a Statutory city (Czech Republic), city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava (river), Svitava and Svratka (river), Svratka rivers, Brno has about 403,000 inhabitants, making ...

. It lies in the

Jevišovice Uplands Jevišovice () is a town in Znojmo District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,200 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument zones, urb ...

. The highest point is at above sea level. It is situated at the confluence of the

Thaya The Thaya (, ) is a river in the Czech Republic and Austria, a right tributary of the Morava (river), Morava River. It flows through the South Moravian Region in the Czech Republic and through Lower Austria in Austria. It is formed by the conflue ...

and

Želetavka The Želetavka is a river in the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Thaya River. It flows through the South Moravian Region. It is long. Etymology The river was probably named after the market town of Želetava. However, it is not certain a ...

rivers. The

Vranov Reservoir Vranov may refer to places: Czech Republic *Vranov (Benešov District), a municipality and village in the Central Bohemian Region *Vranov (Brno-Country District), a municipality and village in the South Moravian Region *Vranov (Tachov District), a ...

is built here on the Thaya River.

History

The first written mention of Bítov is in the foundation deed of the Stará Boleslav Chapter from 1046. History of the village is connected with the

Bítov Castle Bítov Castle (, ) is a castle on a steep promontory towering above the meandering River Želetavka, near the Vranov reservoir, in the village of Bítov, some northwest of Znojmo, Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia ...

, which was first mentioned in a deed from the 1060s. From 1307 to 1572, Bítov was a property of the Lichtenburk family. Among the next owners of Bítov were the noble families of Strein, Jankovský, Daun,

Haugwitz The House of Haugwitz (''Graf von Haugwitz'', ) is an old and influential Saxon noble family originating from the Meissen region. History The Haugwitzs are an ancient aristocratic family from the Lusatia region. It spread to the area of Germ ...

, Radziwiłł and Haas.

Demographics

Transport

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights

Bítov is known for the

, one of the oldest castles in the country. It was probably founded by

Bretislav I Bretislav I (; 1002/1005 – 10 January 1055), known as the "Bohemian Achilles", of the Přemyslid dynasty, was Duke of Bohemia from 1034 until his death in 1055. Youth Bretislav was the son of Duke Oldřich and his low-born concubine Božena. ...

before 1055. Today it is owned by the state and offers guided tours. For its value, it is protected as a national cultural monument. The Cornštejn Castle is located on the opposite bank of the Thaya River than the village and castle of Bítov. It is a ruin of a large Gothic castle, built at the end of the 13th century. After the Lichtenburk family died out in 1572, the castle was abandoned and fell into disrepair. The main landmark of the village centre is the Church of Saint Wenceslaus. It was built in 1934–1935 and is an important example of pre-World War II sacral architecture.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bitov Villages in Znojmo District