Veselí nad Lužnicí (; ) is a town in
Tábor District in the
South Bohemian Region
The South Bohemian Region () is an administrative unit (''Regions of the Czech Republic, kraj'') of the Czech Republic, located mostly in the southern part of its historical land of Bohemia, with a small part in southwestern Moravia. The western ...
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 6,500 inhabitants. It lies at the confluence of the
Lužnice and
Nežárka rivers.
Administrative division
Veselí nad Lužnicí consists of three municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):
*Veselí nad Lužnicí I (3,728)
*Veselí nad Lužnicí II (2,296)
*Horusice (187)
Etymology
The word ''veselí'' means 'mirth', 'merriment'. It was a frequent name of newly founded settlements, which were given this name to ensure that its inhabitants would always be happy and joyful.
Geography
Veselí nad Lužnicí is located about south of
Tábor and northeast of
České Budějovice
České Budějovice (; ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 97,000 inhabitants. The city is located in the valley of the Vltava River, at its confluence with the Malše.
České Budějovice is the largest ...
. It lies at the confluence of the
Lužnice and
Nežárka rivers.
Veselí nad Lužnicí is situated on the northern edge of the
Třeboň Basin and is known for its fishponds and pine forests. There are five artificial lakes south of the town, used for recreational purposes; these were created between 1952 and 1986 by flooding former gravel and sand quarries. An educational trail runs around them.
Horusický pond, the
second largest pond in the country with an area of , lies southwest of the town. The southern part of the municipal territory lies in the Třeboňsko Protected Landscape Area, which was declared a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
biosphere reserve.
History
The first written mention of Veselí is from 1259, when it was a
hamlet and a redoubt on the
salt road from
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
to
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
. King
Charles IV gave it the status of a town in 1362. In the 15th century, the town saw many fires and was looted by the
Hussites. It was
Peter Vok of Rosenberg, a famous fishpond founder and supporter, who let the town grow again a hundred years later.
The
Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) damaged the town badly again, with only 69 people remaining. New development came with the
Schwarzenberg dynasty in the second half of the 17th century. Veselí stayed in their possession until the end of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
in 1918.
[
It was originally two separate towns – Veselí nad Lužnicí and Mezimostí nad Nežárkou (a town since 1908). They were joined in 1943 to make one town under the present name.][
]
Demographics
Economy
The railway station is one of the biggest local employers. The sand quarrying, concrete production and food industries are also long-established in the town.
Transport
The D3 motorway (part of the European route E55) from České Budějovice
České Budějovice (; ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 97,000 inhabitants. The city is located in the valley of the Vltava River, at its confluence with the Malše.
České Budějovice is the largest ...
to Tábor runs next to the town.
Veselí nad Lužnicí is an important railway junction. It lies on the railway lines Prague–České Budějovice, Prague– České Velenice, 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 ...
– Plzeň and Veselí nad Lužnicí– Jindřichův Hradec.
Sights
The Old Town Hall, built in the Renaissance style in 1616, is the main building on the square and together with the neighbouring museum, which was also built in 1616, forms an architectonic unit. The New Town Hall was built in 1897.
The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is the main landmark. Its existence was first mentioned in 1259 and is the oldest monument in the town. The Chapel of Saint Mark (1754) and the Chapel of St. Florian in Mezimostí (1715) are other notable buildings.[
]
Notable people
* Karel Weis (1862–1944), composer, collector of folk songs and folklorist; worked here
* Karel Traxler (1866–1936), chess master; lived here
* Emil Hlobil (1901–1987), composer and music professor
* Lubomír Štrougal (1924–2023), politician and prime minister
* Saša Večtomov (1930–1989), cellist; buried here
* Vladimír Večtomov (1946–2015), guitarist
Twin towns – sister cities
Veselí nad Lužnicí is twinned with:
* Diemtigen, Switzerland
* Yspertal, Austria
Veselí nad Lužnicí also cooperates with other Czech municipalities and villages with ''Veselí'' in their names.[
]
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Veseli nad Luznici
Cities and towns in the Czech Republic
Populated places in České Budějovice District