Lhenice () is a market town in

Prachatice District Prachatice District () is a district in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Prachatice. Administrative division Prachatice District is divided into two administrative districts of municipalities with extend ...

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 2,100 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Lhenice consists of nine municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Lhenice (1,554) *Dolní Chrášťany (58) *Horní Chrášťany (70) *Hoříkovice (27) *Hrbov (68) *Třebanice (66) *Třešňový Újezdec (54) *Vadkov (81) *Vodice (61)

Etymology

The original name of the village was Lhynice and was derived from the personal name Lhyně, meaning "the village of Lhyně's people".

Geography

Lhenice is located about east of

Prachatice Prachatice (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 11,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument reservations, urban monumen ...

and west 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 in the

Bohemian Forest Foothills Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, originally practised by 19th–20th century European and American artists and writers. * Bohemian style, a fa ...

. The highest point is at above sea level. The stream

Bezdrevský potok The Bezdrevský potok is a stream in the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Vltava River. It flows through the South Bohemian Region. It is long. Etymology The name means 'Bezdrev stream', referring to the Bezdrev fishpond. The name of the p ...

flows across the municipal territory. The territory of Lhenice is rich in small streams and fishponds.

History

The first written mention of Lhenice is from 1283, when the village was owned by the monastery in

Zlatá Koruna Zlatá Koruna () is a municipality and village in Český Krumlov District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 800 inhabitants. Administrative division Zlatá Koruna consists of three municipal parts (in brackets popu ...

. After 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 Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, a ...

, it became part of the

Tábor Tábor (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 34,000 inhabitants, making it the second most populated town in the region. The town was founded by the Hussites in 1420. The historic town centre is well pres ...

estate. In 1544, Lhenice was promoted to 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 ...

by Emperor Ferdinand I. In 1547, Lhenice was acquired by the

Rosenberg family The House of Rosenberg ( or ''Páni z Rožmberka'') was a prominent Bohemian noble family that played an important role in Czech medieval history from the 13th century until 1611. Members of this family held posts at the Prague royal (and ...

. The next owners were the families of Schwamberg (1611–1622), Eggenberg (1622–1719) and Schwarzenberg (from 1719 until the establishment of an independent municipality).

Demographics

Economy

Lhenice is known for growing fruit.

Transport

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights

The main landmark of Lhenice is the Church of Saint James the Great. It was originally a Gothic church, rebuilt and extended in 1734–1740. The town hall is a valuable Baroque building. It was built in 1811–1814. The village of Vodice is protected as a village monument reservation for one of the most complete sets of folk architecture in the region and intact urban structure of the village. Today's appearance of the homestead dates back to the 1860s and 1870s. For similar reasons, the village of Třešňový Újezdec is protected as a village monument zone.

Twin towns – sister cities

Lhenice is twinned with: *

Budča Budča () is a village and municipality of the Zvolen District in the Banská Bystrica Region of Slovakia. Geography Budča is situated approximately 5 km west of the town of Zvolen in a valley between the Štiavnica Mountains and Kremnica M ...

, Slovakia * Gurbrü, Switzerland

References

External links

* {{authority control Populated places in Prachatice District Market towns in the Czech Republic Prácheňsko