Kamýk nad Vltavou explained

Kamýk nad Vltavou
Settlement Type:Municipality
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Central Bohemian
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Příbram
Pushpin Map:Czech Republic
Pushpin Relief:1
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates:49.6392°N 14.2536°W
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:1285
Area Total Km2:11.89
Elevation M:274
Population As Of:2024-01-01
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:980
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:262 63

Kamýk nad Vltavou is a municipality and village in Příbram District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Vltava River.

Administrative parts

The village of Velká is an administrative part of Kamýk nad Vltavou.

Etymology

The word kamýk is and old Czech diminutive form of the Slavic word kamy, meaning 'little stone', 'little rock'.[2]

Geography

Kamýk nad Vltavou is located about east of Příbram and 43km (27miles) south of Prague. It lies in the Benešov Uplands. The highest point is the hill Bába at 442m (1,450feet) above sea level. The Vltava River flows through the municipality. A part of the Kamýk Reservoir, built on the Vltava, is located in the southern part of the municipality.

History

The first written mention of the Vrškamýk Castle is from 1236. The settlements above the castle called Starý Kamýk and Nový Kamýk were first mentioned in 1285. Kamýk was the property of the royal chamber, which lent it to various noble families, including the important families of Rosenberg, Lobkowicz and Pernštejn. In 1561, the royal chamber definitely sold Kamýk to nobles.[3]

Before the Battle of White Mountain, Kamýk was owned by the Myška of Žlunice family, but their properties were consficated, and Kamýk was sold to Polyxena of Lobkowicz in 1623. She merged it with the Vysoký Chlumec estate. The Lobkowicz family owned Kamýk until 1922.[3]

Transport

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights

The main landmarks of Kamýk nad Vltavou are the castle and the church. The Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary dates from the third quarter of the 13th century. In 1775–1787, the early Gothic church was rebuilt in the Baroque style, but some Gothic elements have been preserved to this day.[4]

The medieval castle called Vrškamýk or just Kamýk is now a ruin. It was abandoned in the second half of the 14th century and first described as a ruin in 1569. Only a part of the inner walls has been preserved. Near the church is a lookout tower, also called Vrškamýk.[5] [6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024. Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
  2. Book: Profous, Antonín. Místní jména v Čechách II: CH–L. 201. 1949. cs.
  3. Web site: Historie hradu. Obec Kamýk nad Vltavou. cs. 2023-04-20.
  4. Web site: Kostel sv. Anny. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-04-20.
  5. Web site: Zřícenina hradu Vrškamýk. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-04-20.
  6. Web site: Zřícenina hradu Vrškamýk – Hunec v Kamýku nad Vltavou. CzechTourism. cs. 2023-04-20.