Skalná (; until 1950 Vildštejn, ) is a town in

Cheb District Cheb District () is a Okres, district in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Cheb. It is the westernmost district of the Czech Republic. Administrative division Cheb District is divided into three Districts of ...

in the

Karlovy Vary Region The Karlovy Vary Region () is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the westernmost part of the country. It is named after its capital Karlovy Vary. It is known for spas, which include Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně. ...

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 1,900 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Skalná consists of five municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Skalná (1,610) *Kateřina (34) *Starý Rybník (160) *Vonšov (111) *Zelená (7)

Etymology

The original German name Wildstein (i.e. 'wild rock') is most likely derived from the location of the town on a rocky promontory, and from the abundance of

game A game is a structured type of play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or video games) or art ...

in the forests. The Czech name Vildštejn was created by transcription. After World War II, the town was renamed Skalná (from , i.e. 'rock').

Geography

Skalná is located about north of

Cheb Cheb (; ) is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Ohře River. Before the Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia, expulsion of Germans in 1945, the town was the centre of the G ...

and west of

Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary (; , formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is located at the confluence of the Ohře and Teplá (river), Teplá ri ...

. It lies on the border with Germany. The eastern part of the municipal territory lies in the

Cheb Basin Cheb (; ) is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Ohře River. Before the expulsion of Germans in 1945, the town was the centre of the German-speaking region known as Egerland ...

and the western part lies in the

Fichtel Mountains The Fichtel Mountains (, ; ) is a mountain range in Germany and the Czech Republic. They extend from the valley of the Red Main River in northeastern Bavaria to the Karlovy Vary Region in western Czech Republic. The Fichtel Mountains contain an ...

. The highest point is the hill Lužský vrch at above sea level. The territory is rich in small fishponds and streams. Skalná is known for the Soos National Nature Reserve, which is nicknamed "Czech

Yellowstone Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...

". It is an extensive peat bog and moor, where a large number of mineral springs and pure carbon dioxide spring up in the form of mofettas. There is an educational trail leading along the bottom of a dry lake, which had salt water.

History

The first written mention of Vildštejn is from 1224. The settlement was founded around 1200 in the sub-castle area of Vildštejn Castle. It was owned by various noble families, most notably by the House of Gumerauer (1439–1524), by the Wirsberg family (1531–1590s), who made history not only as robbers, but also as builders of a new church and Renaissance castle, and by the Trauttenberg family (1590s–1799). In 1950, the name of the municipality was changed to Skalná.

Demographics

Transport

Skalná is located on the railway line

– Luby.

Sights

The Romanesque Vildštejn Castle was founded in 1166. It was inhabited until the 19th century, when it was transformed into a malting plant. Today it is a museum. The Church of Saint John the Baptist was originally a Gothic structure founded by the

Teutonic Order The Teutonic Order is a religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious institution founded as a military order (religious society), military society in Acre, Israel, Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Sa ...

, first mentioned in 1320. In 1705–1709, it was rebuilt in the Baroque style. In Starý Rybník are ruins of a Gothic castle, built in the mid-14th century. After the fire in 1792, a new aristocratic residence was built next to the medieval castle in 1823–1826. Two ground-floor rooms (probably a prison), perimeter walls and the rest of the corner tower have been preserved from the old castle. Both castles are privately owned and inaccessible.

Notable people

* Sigmund von Birken (1626–1681), German poet * Johann Goldfuß (1908–1970), German luthier *

Pavel Nedvěd Pavel Nedvěd (; born 30 August 1972) is a Czech former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Czech players of all time and he won numerous trophies with Italian cl ...

(born 1972), footballer, 2003

Ballon d'Or The Ballon d'Or (; ) is an annual association football, football award presented by French magazine ''France Football'' since 1956 Ballon d'Or, 1956 to honour the player deemed to have performed the best over the previous season. Conceived ...

winner

Twin towns – sister cities

Skalná is twinned with: * Neusorg, Germany

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Skalna Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Cheb District