Letovice

Town in South Moravian, Czech Republic

Flag

Coat of arms

49°32′50″N 16°34′25″E / 49.54722°N 16.57361°E / 49.54722; 16.57361Country

Czech RepublicRegionSouth MoravianDistrictBlanskoFirst mentioned1145Government

• MayorPetr NovotnýArea

• Total51.01 km² (19.70 sq mi)Elevation

330 m (1,080 ft)Population

(2024-01-01)^[1]

• Total7,215 • Density140/km² (370/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal code

679 61

Websitewww.letovice.net

Letovice (German: Lettowitz) is a town in Blansko District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,200 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The town part of Třebětín and the villages of Babolky, Chlum, Dolní Smržov, Jasinov, Kladoruby, Klevetov, Kněževísko, Kochov, Lhota, Meziříčko, Novičí, Podolí, Slatinka, Zábludov and Zboněk are administrative parts of Letovice.

Geography

Letovice is located about 21 kilometres (13 mi) north of Blansko and 37 km (23 mi) north of Brno. It lies mostly in the Boskovice Furrow. The highest point is the hill Ve Vrších at 590 m (1,940 ft) above sea level. The town is situated in the valley of the Svitava River, at its confluence with the Křetínka River. West of the town is the Letovice Reservoir, built on the Křetínka.

History

The first written mention of Letovice is from 1145.^[2]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1869	5,152	—
1880	5,054	−1.9%
1890	5,561	+10.0%
1900	6,121	+10.1%
1910	6,850	+11.9%

Year	Pop.	±%
1921	6,562	−4.2%
1930	6,468	−1.4%
1950	6,196	−4.2%
1961	6,336	+2.3%
1970	6,483	+2.3%

Year	Pop.	±%
1980	6,811	+5.1%
1991	6,608	−3.0%
2001	6,640	+0.5%
2011	6,637	−0.0%
2021	6,604	−0.5%

Source: Censuses^[3]^[4]

Transport

The I/43 road (part of the European route E461) from Brno to Svitavy passes through the market town.

Letovice is located on the railway line Prague–Brno.^[5]

Sights

Among the main landmarks of the town is the Letovice Castle. The original castle from the 13th century was rebuilt into an early Baroque residence at the end of the 17th century. Today the castle is privately owned and gradually repaired with the aim of making it available to the public.^[6]

The Church of Saint Procopius was built in the Gothic style in the last quarter of the 14th century. It is an important historical and architectural monument. A covered staircase connects the church with the town centre.^[7]

The former monastery of the Merciful Brothers was founded in 1747. The monastery complex with the Church of Saint George and a hospital was built in the Baroque style in 1751–1784. Part of the monastery is a unique restored Baroque pharmacy from 1784, open to the public. Today, the entire premises of the former monastery belong to the Letovice Hospital.^[8]^[9]

Notable people

Count Gustav Kálnoky (1832–1898), Austro-Hungarian diplomat and statesman
Alois Biach (1849–1918), Austrian physician and medical writer
Emanuel Löffler (1901–1986), gymnast

Twin towns – sister cities

Letovice is twinned with:^[10]

Chełmno, Poland
Kirchlinteln, Germany
Kőbánya (Budapest), Hungary
Slepčany, Slovakia
Stari Grad, Croatia

References

^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
^ "Kronika města Letovice 2005–2012 Díl X." (PDF) (in Czech). Město Letovice. p. 98. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011 – Okres Blansko" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21. pp. 5–6.
^ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
^ "Detail stanice Letovice" (in Czech). České dráhy. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
^ "Historie letovického zámku" (in Czech). Letovice Castle. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
^ "Kostel sv. Prokopa" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
^ "Klášter Milosrdných bratří" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
^ "Kostel sv. Václava" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
^ "Úvodní strana" (in Czech). Město Letovice. Retrieved 2021-11-08.