Úvaly () is a town in

Prague-East District Prague-East District () is a Okres, district in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is Prague. The most populated town of the district is Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav. Administrative division Prague-East District i ...

in the

Central Bohemian Region The Central Bohemian Region ( ; ) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the central part of its historical region of Bohemia. Its administrative centre is in the Czech capital Prague, which lies in the centre of the regio ...

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 7,500 inhabitants.

Etymology

The name means 'valleys' in Czech. It was originally used in the singular, but was gradually changed to the plural.

Geography

Úvaly is located about east of the centre of

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 ...

. It lies in the

Prague Plateau The Prague Plateau () is a plateau and a geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located in the area of Prague and in the Central Bohemian Region. Geomorphology The Prague Plateau is a mesoregion of the Brdy Macroregion within ...

. The highest point is at above sea level. The Výmola stream flows through the town. There are several small fishponds in the municipal territory.

History

The first written mention of Úvaly is from 1290. The settlement lied on the important trade route Prague–

Český Brod Český Brod (; ) is a town in Kolín District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,500 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument zone ...

–

Kutná Hora Kutná Hora (; ) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 22,000 inhabitants. The history of Kutná Hora is linked to silver mining, which made it a rich and rapidly developing town. The centre of Kutná Hora, i ...

, which helped to its growth. In 1654 it was first mentioned as a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

. In 1845, the railway Prague–

Olomouc Olomouc (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 103,000 inhabitants, making it the Statutory city (Czech Republic), sixth largest city in the country. It is the administrative centre of the Olomouc Region. Located on the Morava (rive ...

via Úvaly was built, and the population of Úvaly grew up from hundreds to thousands. In 1969, Úvaly became a town.

Demographics

Transport

The I/12 road from Prague to

Kolín Kolín (; ) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument reservations, urban monume ...

passes through the town. Úvaly is located on the railway line Prague–Kolín.

Sights

The main landmark is the Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. It was built on the site of a chapel founded in 1342. A valuable technical monument is the Úvaly Railway Bridge. It was built in 1844–1845 and was part of the first steam railway in Bohemia, which connected Prague and

in 1842–1845. East pole of Prague is located on the border between Prague and Úvaly.

Notable people

* Marie Majerová (1882–1967), writer, translator and journalist * Vladimír Kejř (1929–1981), gymnast * Oldřich Hamera (1944–2021), graphic artist Music group

Divokej Bill Divokej Bill is a Czech folk rock band formed in 1998 in Úvaly, near Prague. The band takes its name from Wild Bill Hickok, and blend country music influences with punk rock, folk, and alternative rock sounds. Divokej Bill is currently compo ...

was founded here.

References

External links

*
Information portalPlaces and stories in Úvaly and surroundings
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uvaly Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Prague-East District