Úvaly

Town in Central Bohemian, Czech Republic

Flag

Coat of arms

50°4′25″N 14°43′49″E / 50.07361°N 14.73028°E / 50.07361; 14.73028Country

Czech RepublicRegionCentral BohemianDistrictPrague-EastFirst mentioned1290Government

• MayorMarkéta RydvalováArea

• Total10.97 km² (4.24 sq mi)Elevation

253 m (830 ft)Population

(2024-01-01)^[1]

• Total7,504 • Density680/km² (1,800/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal code

250 82

Websitewww.mestouvaly.cz

Úvaly (German: Auwal) is a town in Prague-East District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,500 inhabitants.

Etymology

The name means 'valleys' in Czech. It was originally used in the singular, but was gradually changed to the plural.^[2]

Geography

Úvaly is located about 15 kilometres (9 mi) east of the centre of Prague. It lies in the Prague Plateau. The highest point is at 298 m (978 ft) above sea level. The Výmola stream flows through the town. There are several small fishponds in the municipal territory.

History

The first written mention of Úvaly is from 1290. The settlement lied on the important trade route Prague–Český Brod–Kutná Hora, which helped to its growth. In 1654 it was first mentioned as a market town. In 1845, the railway Prague–Olomouc via Úvaly was built, and the population of Úvaly grew up from hundreds to thousands. In 1969, Úvaly became a town.^[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1869	818	—
1880	981	+19.9%
1890	1,130	+15.2%
1900	1,292	+14.3%
1910	1,820	+40.9%

Year	Pop.	±%
1921	2,332	+28.1%
1930	4,346	+86.4%
1950	4,693	+8.0%
1961	4,999	+6.5%
1970	4,892	−2.1%

Year	Pop.	±%
1980	4,893	+0.0%
1991	4,604	−5.9%
2001	4,690	+1.9%
2011	6,112	+30.3%
2021	7,166	+17.2%

Source: Censuses^[4]^[5]

Transport

The I/12 road from Prague to Kolín passes through the town.

Úvaly is located on the railway line Prague–Kolín.^[6]

Sights

The main landmark is the Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. It was built on the site of a chapel founded in 1342.^[7]

A valuable technical monument is the Úvaly Railway Bridge. It was built in 1844–1845 and was part of the first steam railway in Bohemia, which connected Prague and Olomouc in 1842–1845.^[8]

Notable people

Marie Majerová (1882–1967), writer, translator and journalist
Vladimír Kejř (1929–1981), gymnast
Oldřich Hamera (1944–2021), graphic artist

Music group Divokej Bill was founded here.

References

^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
^ Profous, Antonín (1957). Místní jména v Čechách IV: S–Ž (in Czech). p. 460–461.
^ "Historie" (in Czech). Město Úvaly. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011 – Okres Praha-východ" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21. pp. 13–14.
^ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
^ "Detail stanice Úvaly" (in Czech). České dráhy. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
^ "Památky" (in Czech). Město Úvaly. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
^ "Železniční most" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-06-06.