Starý Plzenec

Starý Plzenec
Town
Starý Plzenec as seen from the Radyně Hill
Flag
Coat of arms
Country Czech Republic
Region Plzeň
District Plzeň-City
Commune Plzeň
Municipality Starý Plzenec
Parts Sedlec, Starý Plzenec
River Úslava
Center Masaryk Square
 - elevation 343 m (1,125 ft)
 - coordinates
Highest point Radyně Hill
 - elevation 567 m (1,860 ft)
Area 18.38 km2 (7.1 sq mi)
Population 4,628 (2006-10-02)
Density 252 / km2 (653 / sq mi)
First mentioned 976
Mayor Zdeněk Matas
Timezone CET (UTC+1)
 - summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 332 02
Location in the Czech Republic
Wikimedia Commons: Starý Plzenec
Statistics: statnisprava.cz
Website: www.staryplzenec.cz
Starý Plzenec
Municipality with Commissioned Local Authority
Rotunda of St Peter above the town
Country Czech Republic
Region Plzeň
Little District Plzeň
Municipalities Chválenice, Letkov, Lhůta, Losiná, Mokrouše, Nezbavětice, Nezvěstice, Starý Plzenec, Šťáhlavy, Štěnovický Borek, Tymákov
Area 96.52 km2 (37 sq mi)
Population 11,347 (2005-12-31)
Density 118 / km2 (306 / sq mi)

Starý Plzenec (Czech pronunciation: [ˈstariː ˈpl̩zɛnɛts]; German: Altpilsen) is a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It lies some 9 km (6 mi) to the southeast from the region capital of Plzeň on the Úslava River.

Starý Plzenec is also the seat of the Municipality with Commissioned Local Authority within the Plzeň Municipality with Extended Competence.

History

First mention of the settlement dates back to 976 when, according to Thietmar of Merseburg, Boleslaus II, Duke of Bohemia, defeated a Bavarian army under local stronghold, then called Plzeň. The urban settlement below the castle evolved into administrative and merchant centre of western Bohemia, but this came to end in 1295 when King Wenceslas II founded new city of Plzeň in a more suitable location at nearby confluence of the Mže and Radbuza rivers. The new city soon took over functions of old Plzeň and became known as Nová Plzeň (New Plzeň), later simply as Plzeň while the older settlement on the Úslava river was called Stará Plzeň (Old Plzeň) since then, in more recent variant Starý Plzenec.

Sights

The Radyně Castle (a ruin of a medieval castle from 14th century open to public) is on the Radyně Hill above the town (southwards). On the Hůrka Hill above the town (northwards) there is the St Peter and Paul Rotunda, a Romanesque church from late 10th century and bottoms of other buildings of the old stronghold.

Resources