Svojanov


Svojanov is a market town in Svitavy District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 400 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Svojanov consists of six municipal parts :
  • Svojanov
  • Dolní Lhota
  • Hutě
  • Předměstí
  • Starý Svojanov
  • Studenec

    Geography

Svojanov is located about south of Svitavy and southeast of Pardubice. It lies on the border between the Upper Svratka Highlands and Svitavy Uplands. The highest point is at above sea level. The market town is situated in the valley of the Křetínka River.

History

The Svojanov Castle was built in the 1260s. During the reign of King Ottokar II, it was used for protection of the trade route from Bohemia to Moravia. The first written mention of the settlement of Svojanov, located below the castle, is from 1287. It was then owned by Záviš of Falkenstein, who had the small fortress extended into a big Gothic castle. The village of Starý Svojanov was founded in the 13th century and supposedly is the oldest part of today's municipality.
In 1421, Svojanov was besieged by Jan Žižka and between 1642 and 1645, the market town was occupied by the Swedish army. In December 1798, the Russian legions marched through Svojanov to fight against Napoleon.

Demographics

Transport

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipal territory.

Sights

, built in the early Gothic style, is one of the oldest stone castles in the country. In the 15th century, it was fortified. Since 1910, it has been owned by the town of Polička. The castle complex was expanded in the 16th century to include a Renaissance palace and other buildings. After the 1842 fire, the palace was rebuilt in the Empire style. The castle ruins and the Empire palace are open to the public and often are used for cultural purposes.
An interesting sight is the Church of Saint Nicholas with a 13th-century chancel and fresco decoration which dates back to the period of King Charles IV, [Holy Roman Emperor|Charles IV].