Veselí nad Lužnicí | |
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 Town square | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Veselí nad Lužnicí Location in the Czech Republic | |
| Coordinates:49°11′12″N14°41′56″E / 49.18667°N 14.69889°E /49.18667; 14.69889 | |
| Country |  Czech Republic |
| Region | South Bohemian |
| District | Tábor |
| First mentioned | 1259 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Vít Rada |
| Area | |
• Total | 29.57 km2 (11.42 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 407 m (1,335 ft) |
| Population (2025-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 6,515 |
| • Density | 220.3/km2 (570.6/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 391 81 |
| Website | www |
Veselí nad Lužnicí (Czech pronunciation:[ˈvɛsɛliːˈnadluʒɲɪtsiː];German:Wesseli an der Lainsitz) is a town inTábor District in theSouth Bohemian Region of theCzech Republic. It has about 6,500 inhabitants. It lies at the confluence of theLužnice andNežárka rivers.
Veselí nad Lužnicí consists of three municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):[2]
The wordveselí means 'mirth', 'merriment'. It was a frequent name of newly founded settlements, which were given this name to ensure that its inhabitants would always be happy and joyful.[3]
Veselí nad Lužnicí is located about 25 kilometres (16 mi) south ofTábor and 27 km (17 mi) northeast ofČeské Budějovice. It lies at the confluence of theLužnice andNežárka rivers.
Veselí nad Lužnicí is situated on the northern edge of theTřeboň Basin and is known for its fishponds and pine forests. There are five artificial lakes south of the town, used for recreational purposes; these were created between 1952 and 1986 by flooding former gravel and sand quarries. An educational trail runs around them.[4]
Horusický pond, thesecond largest pond in the country with an area of 415 ha (1,030 acres), lies southwest of the town. The southern part of the municipal territory lies in the Třeboňsko Protected Landscape Area, which was declared aUNESCO biosphere reserve.
The first written mention of Veselí is from 1259, when it was ahamlet and a redoubt on thesalt road fromAustria toPrague. KingCharles IV gave it the status of a town in 1362. In the 15th century, the town saw many fires and was looted by theHussites. It wasPeter Vok of Rosenberg, a famous fishpond founder and supporter, who let the town grow again a hundred years later.[5]
TheThirty Years' War (1618–1648) damaged the town badly again, with only 69 people remaining. New development came with theSchwarzenberg dynasty in the second half of the 17th century. Veselí stayed in their possession until the end ofWorld War I in 1918.[5]
It was originally two separate towns – Veselí nad Lužnicí and Mezimostí nad Nežárkou (a town since 1908). They were joined in 1943 to make one town under the present name.[5]
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| Source: Censuses[6][7] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The railway station is one of the biggest local employers. The sand quarrying, concrete production and food industries are also long-established in the town.
TheD3 motorway (part of theEuropean route E55) fromČeské Budějovice toTábor runs next to the town.
Veselí nad Lužnicí is an important railway junction. It lies on the railway lines Prague–České Budějovice, Prague–České Velenice,Brno–Plzeň and Veselí nad Lužnicí–Jindřichův Hradec.[8]
The Old Town Hall, built in the Renaissance style in 1616, is the main building on the square and together with the neighbouring museum, which was also built in 1616, forms an architectonic unit. The New Town Hall was built in 1897.[9]
The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is the main landmark. Its existence was first mentioned in 1259 and is the oldest monument in the town. The Chapel of Saint Mark (1754) and the Chapel of St. Florian in Mezimostí (1715) are other notable buildings.[9]
Veselí nad Lužnicí istwinned with:[10]
Veselí nad Lužnicí also cooperates with other Czech municipalities and villages withVeselí in their names.[10]
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