Bakov nad Jizerou (german: Backofen an der Iser) is a town in Mladá Boleslav District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,200 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

Villages and hamlets of Brejlov, Buda, Chudoplesy, Horka, Klokočka, Malá Bělá, Malý Rečkov, Podhradí, Studénka, Velký Rečkov, Zájezdy and Zvířetice are administrative parts of Bakov nad Jizerou.

Etymology

The name Bakov is derived from the name of its probable founder, a man named Bak.

Geography

Bakov nad Jizerou is located about north of Mladá Boleslav and northeast of Prague. Most of the municipal territory lies in the Jičín Uplands, but it also extends to the Jizera Table on the west. The highest point is a contour line on the slopes of the Baba hill at above sea level. The town proper is situated on the left bank of the Jizera River, at its confluence with the Kněžmostka Stream.

History

Bakov nad Jizerou was probably founded during the colonization of

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries. The first written mention of Bakov is from 1345, when it was bought from the Hradiště Monastery by Markvart of Zvířetice. He made it the centre of the Zvířetice estate. The village survived the

Hussite Wars The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, European monarchs loyal to the Cat ...

unscathed and continued to develop. In 1497, Bakov was promoted to a town. In 1643, during the Thirty Years' War, Bakov was burned down by the

Swedish army The Swedish Army ( sv, svenska armén) is the land force of the Swedish Armed Forces. History Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1521, when the men of Dalarna chose 16 young able men as body guards for the insurgent nobleman Gustav Vas ...

. During the second half of the 17th century, the town gradually recovered. Bakov also regularly suffered from floods, so in 1753 the bed of the Jizera was diverted further away from the town. Bakov was traditionally an agricultural settlement. From the 16th to the 18th century, pottery was an important source of livelihood for the inhabitants. From the end of the 17th century, knitting from bulrush was a characteristic craft for the town.

Demographics

Transport

The D10 motorway from Prague to Turnov runs next to the town. Bakov nad Jizerou is located on two regional railway lines: Prague– Tanvald and Nymburk–Turnov.

Sights

The landmark of the town centre is the Church of Saint Bartholomew. A wooden chapel, which was as old as Bakov, was rebuilt into a stone Gothic church in 1384. After the fire in 1643, it was completely rebuilt in the second half of the 17th century, and was equipped with new bells. The

Holy Trinity Column Marian columns are religious monuments depicting Virgin Mary on the top, often built in thanksgiving for the ending of a plague (plague columns) or for some other reason. The purpose of the Holy Trinity columns was usually simply to celebrate the ...

in the middle of the town square was built in 1727–1729. The most important monument is the ruin of the Zvířetice Castle. Originally, it was a Gothic castle built before 1287. At the end of the 16th century, it was rebuilt into a Renaissance residence. In 1693, it was damaged by fire and partly reconstructed. After the second fire in 1720, it became a ruin. Today, the ruin is a tourist destination and offers sightseeing tours.

Notable people

* Jiří Ignác Linek (1725–1791), composer

Gallery

Bakov_nad_Jizerou_-_nádraží.jpg, Railway station Bakov nad Jizerou, Malá Bělá, restaurant.jpg, A restaurant in the Malá Bělá village Bakov nad Jizerou, letadlo.jpg, Restaurant by the D10 motorway

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Mladá Boleslav District