Úvaly

For the hill region, see Siberian Uvaly.

Úvaly
Town
Arnošta z Pardubic Square
Flag Coat of arms
Úvaly Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°4′25″N14°43′49″E / 50.07361°N 14.73028°E / 50.07361; 14.73028
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Central Bohemian
District	Prague-East
First mentioned	1290
Government
• Mayor	Markéta Rydvalová
Area
• Total	10.97 km2 (4.24 sq mi)
Elevation	253 m (830 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01) [1]
• Total	7,504
• Density	680/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	250 82
Website	www.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

Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary

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

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

External links

• Official website
• Information portal
• Places and stories in Úvaly and surroundings