Veselí nad Lužnicí

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Veselí nad Lužnicí is a city in South Bohemia Czech Republic and has a population of 6,500; it lies on the confluence of the Lužnice and Nežárka rivers., a part of South Bohemia.

The city is situated on the northern edge of the Třeboň basin (407 meters above sea level), and is known for its fish ponds and pine forests. Since the late 19th century, it has been an important railway junction between České Budějovice, Tábor, Třeboň and Jindřichův Hradec. The railway station remains one of the biggest local employers. - partly because the sand, concrete and food industries are long-established in the city.

[edit] History

The city was first mentioned in 1259 as a hamlet on the salt road from Austria to Prague. Emperor Charles IV gave it the status of a town in 1362. In the 15th century, the town saw many fires and looting. It was Petr Vok from Rožmberk dynasty, a famous fish pond founder and supporter who let the city grow again a hundred years later. The Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) damaged the town badly again - with only about 50 people remaining. New development came with the Švarcenberk dynasty in the second half of the 17th century. Veselí stayed in its possession until the end of the First World War in 1918.

It was originally two separate towns - Veselí nad Lužnicí and Mezimostí nad Nežárkou. They were joined in 1947 to make one town under the present name. Only the railway station Veselí-Mezimostí, which lies about 2 km south of the central railway station, is a reminder of the former Mezimostí nad Lužnicí.

Veselí nad Lužnicí is a popular summer resort, especially for canoers and hikers. Another attraction are the man-made lakes south of the city; these were created in the 1970's and 1980's when huge amounts of sand were quarried.