| Březová | |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Karlovy Vary |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Sokolov |
| Pushpin Map: | Czech Republic |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in the Czech Republic |
| Coordinates: | 50.1461°N 12.6478°W |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Jaroslav Bělíček |
| Established Title: | First mentioned |
| Established Date: | 1353 |
| Area Total Km2: | 59.59 |
| Elevation M: | 487 |
| Population As Of: | 2024-01-01 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 2604 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | CET |
| Utc Offset1: | +1 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal codes |
| Postal Code: | 356 01, 358 03 |
Březová (German: Prösau) is a town in Sokolov District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,600 inhabitants.
The villages of Arnoltov, Kamenice, Kostelní Bříza, Lobzy, Rudolec and Tisová are administrative parts of Březová.
The name is derived from the Czech word bříza, i.e. 'birch'.[2]
Březová is located about 3km (02miles) south of Sokolov and 17km (11miles) southwest of Karlovy Vary. It lies mostly in the Slavkov Forest, only the northern part of the municipal territory with half of the town proper lies in the Sokolov Basin. The highest point is near the top of the Lazský vrch hill at 847m (2,779feet) above sea level. North of the town is Lake Silvestr, created by reclaiming a mine dump.
The first written mention of Březová is from 1353. The most significant owners of the settlement were the Nostitz family, who acquired it in the first half of the 17th century. Part of the population was ethnic German, but after World War II most of them were expelled.[2]
From 1939 to 1979, lignite was mined next to the town. In 1954, the municipalities of Kamenice and Lobzy and the area of the extinct village of Paseka were annexed to Březová. In 1960, Tisová was annexed to Březová and the municipality obtained the title of a town. In 1976, Kostelní Bříza (including its parts of Arnoltov and Rudolec) were annexed to the town.[2]
The D6 motorway (the section from Karlovy Vary to Cheb and the Czech-German border, here part of the European routes E48 and E49) runs north of the town.
The most important monument is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, located in Kostelní Bříza. It was built in the late Baroque style in 1802 on the site of an older church.[3]
In Kostelní Bříza is a Baroque castle, rebuilt to its present form in 1767. Today it is dilapidated and unused. Next to the castle is a dendrologically significant park.[4]
A valuable building, also located in Kostelní Bříza, is a manor house from the second half of the 18th century. It is one of the best-preserved half-timbered buildings in the region.[5]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic. Březová is twinned with:[6]