Lukov (Znojmo District) Explained

Lukov
Settlement Type:Market town
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:South Moravian
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Znojmo
Pushpin Map:Czech Republic
Pushpin Relief:1
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates:48.8617°N 15.9106°W
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:1235
Area Total Km2:14.28
Elevation M:415
Population As Of:2024-01-01
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:259
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:669 02

Lukov (German: Luggau) is a market town in Znojmo District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 300 inhabitants.

Geography

Lukov is located about 9km (06miles) west of Znojmo and 61km (38miles) southwest of Brno, on the border with Austria. It lies in the Jevišovice Uplands. The highest point is at 441m (1,447feet) above sea level. The Czech-Austrian border is formed by the Thaya river. The Podyjí National Park occupies the western part of the municipal territory.

History

The first written mention of Lukov is in a document from 1284 concerning the patronage of the Louka Monastery over the parish of Lukov (the parish was already documented in 1235). In 1358, the monastery sold Lukov to Moravian Margrave John Henry. He had built a castle called Nový Hrádek near Lukov.[2]

In the following centuries, the owners of Lukov often changed. The most important owners include the Krajíř of Krajek family, during whose rule in 1548 the village was promoted to a market town. During the rule of the Dietrichstein family, which bought Lukov in 1568, the estate was merged with the Vranov estate and the importance of Nový Hrádek and Lukov decreased.[2]

Transport

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

Sights

The main landmark of Lukov is the Church of Saint Giles. It was built in the late Baroque style in 1749, but the core of the church with the presbytery is preserved from the previous Gothic church.[3]

Nový Hrádek Castle was devastated by the Swedish army in 1645, during the Thirty Years' War. It was then abandoned and never restored. Due to its location in the border zone and in the national park, the torzo of the castle has been well preserved. It is a pure example of a castle with a mantlet wall.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024. Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
  2. Web site: Historie. Městys Lukov. cs. 2023-08-31.
  3. Web site: Kostel sv. Jiljí. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-08-31.
  4. Web site: Hrad Nový Hrádek. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-08-31.