Klimkovice Explained

Klimkovice
Settlement Type:Town
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Moravian-Silesian
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Ostrava-City
Pushpin Map:Czech Republic
Pushpin Relief:1
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates:49.7881°N 18.1258°W
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Jaroslav Varga
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:1398
Area Total Km2:14.64
Elevation M:252
Population As Of:2024-01-01
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:4536
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:742 83

Klimkovice (German: Königsberg) is a spa town in Ostrava-City District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,500 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The villages of Hýlov, Josefovice and Václavovice are administrative parts of Klimkovice.

Geography

Klimkovice is located about 5km (03miles) west of Ostrava. It lies mostly in the Moravian Gate lowland. The northern part of the municipal territory lies in the Nízký Jeseník range and includes the highest point of Klimkovice at 374m (1,227feet) above sea level. There are several small fishponds around the town.

History

Klimkovice was probably founded by Beneš I of Kravaře, who owned the area between 1383 and 1398. The first written mention of Klimkovice is from 1386, when it was already a town.[2]

In 1766, presence of hard coal was discovered in Klimkovice and it was the first discovery of coal in the Moravian-Silesian Region. However, it was not mined.[3]

According to the Austrian census of 1910, 91.2% of the inhabitants were Czech-speaking and 8.5% were German-speaking. Most populous religious group were Roman Catholics (98.4%).[4]

Economy

Klimkovice is known for a spa. The spa uses iodine-bromine waters with a high salt content. The spa treats diseases of the musculoskeletal system, neurological and gynecological diseases, diseases of the circulatory system, and metabolic disorders.[5]

Transport

The D1 motorway from Brno to Ostrava passes through the municipal territory. The Klimkovice Tunnel is located on it.

Sights

The Klimkovice Castle is a Renaissance castle, built in 1578–1579 on the site of a medieval fortress. Its current appearance is a result of reconstructions after fires in 1854 and 1945. It is connected by a covered corridor with the adjacent Church of Saint Catherine. Today the castle houses the municipal office, the cultural and information centre of Klimkovice, and a museum. The castle gardens were turned into a town park in 1946–1954.[6] [7]

The Church of Saint Catherine in the centre of Klimkovice dates from the end of the 14th century. The tower was added in the second half of the 15th century. The church was built in the Gothic style; later Renaissance and Baroque modifications were made. A reconstruction took place after a fire in 1854.[8]

The Church of the Holy Trinity was built in the Renaissance style in 1525–1529. It is a former cemetery church.[9]

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic. Klimkovice is twinned with:[10]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024. Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
  2. Web site: Welcome to Klimkovice. Kulturní a informační centrum Klimkovice. cs. 2022-01-04.
  3. Web site: Klimkovice jsou lázeňským městem s Ostravou na dohled. Petr Žižka. cs. 2022-01-04.
  4. Ludwig Patryn (ed): Die Ergebnisse der Volkszählung vom 31. Dezember 1910 in Schlesien, Troppau 1912.
  5. Web site: Lázně Klimkovice – relaxační, lázeňské a wellness pobyty a procedury. CzechTourism. cs. 2022-01-04.
  6. Web site: Zámek. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-05-05.
  7. Web site: Zámek. Kulturní a informační centrum Klimkovice. cs. 2023-05-05.
  8. Web site: Kostel sv. Kateřiny. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-05-05.
  9. Web site: Kostel Nejsvětější Trojice. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-05-05.
  10. Web site: Partnerská města. Město Klimkovice. cs. 2020-09-22.