| Lázně Toušeň | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — Municipality and market town — | |||
| Spa | |||
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| Country | Czech Republic | ||
| Region | Central Bohemian Region | ||
| District | Prague-East District | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
Lázně Toušeň (German: Tauschim) is a market town and municipality in Prague-East District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic.
Lázně Toušeň
The ancient town of Toušeň is situated at the confluence of the rivers Labe (Elbe) and Jizera. There are numerous remains left by the prehistoric inhabitants as early as 3000 B. C. The most important of these is a gold hair decoration, which is the oldest gold jewellery yet found in Central Europe. The village took its name from the original Slavic castle, which was built on the old trading route from Prague to the Baltic Sea. A river ferry, first mentioned in 1293, was later replaced by a bridge protected by a little fort well known in Czech history because Charles IV paid a visit to it in 1338. Charles IV, the Moravian margrave of that time, wrote three chapters of his Latin autobiography Vita Caroli whilst he was there. The oldest parts of the mill (No. 31) near the little fort also date from these times.
In the years following the Hussite Wars and the occupation of the fort in 1421, ownership of the village passed from the noble family of Michalovic through several other hands, including those of the Czech King George of Poděbrady. Later it became the property of the knight John Pašek of Vrat, who was the first Lord Mayor of both the Old and New Towns of Prague. After Pašek's death in 1533, Toušeň, by now largely rebuilt in Renaissance style, lost its independence and became the property of the Crown.
The present development of Toušeň started in 1868 with the opening of a small spa. The old fishing tradition gradually gave way to intensive farming, mostly relying on corn and sugar beet, and a new larger spa was built. It was a favourite spot for picnickers. Nevertheless some of the old buildings in the centre were preserved, for example St. Florian's Chapel (in the early Baroque style), the Town Hall and No. 40, a former roadside inn, birthplace of the landscape painter Čenek Choděra.
Mud baths were subsequently added to the original mineral baths, and as a result many well known personalities came to Toušeň for treatment, including the composer Leoš Janáček, the Metropolitan Opera soloist Jarmila Novotná and the writer Bohumil Hrabal. Today the modernized spa specializes in physiotherapy and the treatment of rheumatic diseases. Many people, including leading Czech athletes, use the facilities of this spa as part of their training programmes.