Přeštice (Czech pronunciation: [ˈpr̝̊ɛʃcɪtsɛ]; German: Prestitz) is a town in Plzeň-South District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 6,800 inhabitants.
Přeštice | |
|---|---|
 Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Přeštice Location in the Czech Republic | |
| Coordinates: 49°34′23″N 13°19′57″E / 49.57306°N 13.33250°E | |
| Country |  Czech Republic |
| Region | Plzeň |
| District | Plzeň-South |
| First mentioned | 1226 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Tomáš Chmelík |
| Area | |
• Total | 25.41 km2 (9.81 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 345 m (1,132 ft) |
| Population (2024-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 6,804 |
| • Density | 270/km2 (690/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 334 01 |
| Website | www |
Administrative parts
editThe villages of Skočice, Zastávka and Žerovice are administrative parts of Přeštice.
Geography
editPřeštice is located about 18 kilometres (11 mi) south of Plzeň. It lies on the border between the Švihov Highlands and Plasy Uplands. The highest point is the hill Střížov at 522 m (1,713 ft) above sea level. The Úhlava River flows through the town.
History
editThe first written mention of Přeštice is in a deed of King Ottokar II from 1226, when it was referred to as a market village. In 1239, the village was bought by the monastery in Kladruby. During the Hussite Wars (1419–1434), Přeštice was acquired by the Švihovský z Rýzmberk family, who owned it for two centuries.[2]
In the early 19th century, Přeštice was badly damaged by a large fire, but the town recovered. The construction of the road from Plzeň to Klatovy, which began to be built in 1809, contributed to the development of the town. The new town hall was built in 1832. In 1874, the Plzeň–Klatovy railway was put into operation.[2]
Until 1918, the town was part of Austria-Hungary, in the district of the same name, one of the 94 Bezirkshauptmannschaften in Bohemia.[3]
Demographics
edit
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| Source: Censuses[4][5] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Transport
editThe I/27 road (the section from Plzeň to Klatovy, part of the European route E53) passes through the town.
Přeštice is located on the railway line Prague–Klatovy via Plzeň.[6]
Sights
editThe main landmark of Přeštice is the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It was built in the Baroque style in 1750–1775 and was designed by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer.[2]
Notable people
edit- Jakub Jan Ryba (1765–1815), composer
- Josef Hlávka (1831–1908), architect and philanthropist
- Milena Jelinek (1935–2020), Czech-American screenwriter and playwright
Twin towns – sister cities
editReferences
edit- ^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
- ^ a b c "O městě: Historie města" (in Czech). Město Přeštice. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
- ^ Die postalischen Abstempelungen auf den österreichischen Postwertzeichen-Ausgaben 1867, 1883 und 1890, Wilhelm Klein, 1967
- ^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
- ^ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
- ^ "Detail stanice Přeštice" (in Czech). České dráhy. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ "Partnerská města" (in Czech). Město Přeštice. Retrieved 2020-07-28.