Opatovice nad Labem

Municipality in Pardubice, Czech Republic

Opatovice nad Labem

Municipality

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Opatovice nad Labem

Location in the Czech Republic

Coordinates: 50°8′44″N 15°47′26″E﻿ / ﻿50.14556°N 15.79056°E﻿ / 50.14556; 15.79056
Country|  Czech Republic
Region| Pardubice
District| Pardubice
First mentioned| 1073
Area

• Total

| 12.01 km2 (4.64 sq mi)
Elevation

| 225 m (738 ft)
Population

(2025-01-01)[1]

• Total

| 2,912
• Density| 240/km2 (630/sq mi)
Time zone| UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)| UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code|

533 45

Website| www.opatovicenadlabem.cz

Opatovice nad Labem is a municipality and village in Pardubice District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,800 inhabitants.

## Administrative division

[edit]

Opatovice nad Labem consists of two municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):[2]

* Opatovice nad Labem (2,195)
* Pohřebačka (591)

## Etymology

[edit]

The name Opatovice is derived from the Czech word opatství, i.e. 'abbey'. It indicated a village in the vicinity of the monastery that was founded here.[3]

## Geography

[edit]

Opatovice nad Labem is located about 11 kilometres (7 mi) north of Pardubice and 6 km (4 mi) south of Hradec Králové. It lies in a flat landscape of the East Elbe Table lowland. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe River. There are several flooded quarries used for recreational purposes. The largest of them is Opaťák in the northern part of the municipality.[3]

The Opatovice Canal flows through the village. It was built in the 15th century to supply the large pond system and is a cultural technical monument. Today it is 26 km (16 mi) long.[4]

## History

[edit]

Town hall and Church of Saint Lawrence

Archaeological research confirmed that mild climate and fertile surroundings of the Elbe had been exploited by ancient peoples. The first written mention of Opatovice nad Labem is from 1073, when Benedictine monks founded here a monastery. The Opatovice Monastery was finished in 1086 and existed until 1421, when it was burned down by the Hussites.[3]

In the 15th century, the village was shortly owned by Diviš Bořek of Miletínek and by George of Poděbrady, and in 1491, it was acquired by the Pernštejn family. The Pernštejns built here the first weir on the Elbe and the Opatovice Canal to feed the system of breeding fish ponds. In 1560, however, they lost the manor for financial reasons and it was acquired by the royal chamber. During the Thirty Years' War, Opatovice was looted by the Swedish army.[3]

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population| Year| Pop.| ±%

|
|

1869| 1,027| —
1880| 1,328| +29.3%
1890| 1,264| −4.8%
1900| 1,592| +25.9%
1910| 1,624| +2.0%
| Year| Pop.| ±%

|
|

1921| 1,498| −7.8%
1930| 1,856| +23.9%
1950| 1,570| −15.4%
1961| 1,943| +23.8%
1970| 1,967| +1.2%
| Year| Pop.| ±%

|
|

1980| 2,072| +5.3%
1991| 1,951| −5.8%
2001| 2,180| +11.7%
2011| 2,553| +17.1%
2021| 2,786| +9.1%
Source: Censuses[5][6]

## Economy

[edit]

Opatovice Power Plant

Opatovice nad Labem is known for its large power station that was first activated in 1959.[7]

## Transport

[edit]

The D35 motorway passes through Opatovice nad Labem. The municipality is known for commissioning one of the largest road junctions in the country.[3]

## Sights

[edit]

The main landmark is the Church of Saint Lawrence. It was built in the Gothic style in the second half of the 13th century and rebuilt in 1421. The current appearance is a result of the Baroque reconstructions in the second half of the 18th century.[8]

## Notable people

[edit]

* Emanuela Nohejlová-Prátová (1900–1995), numismatist, archaeologist and historian

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2025". Czech Statistical Office. 2025-05-16.
2. ^ "Public Census 2021 – basic data". Public Database (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2022.
3. ^ a b c d e "Historie" (in Czech). Obec Opatovice nad Labem. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
4. ^ "Opatovický kanál – středověké vodní dílo" (in Czech). CzechTourism. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
5. ^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
6. ^ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
7. ^ "Více než půlstoletí zásobování teplem" (in Czech). Elektrárny Opatovice, a.s. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
8. ^ "Kostel sv. Vavřince" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2021-10-12.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Opatovice nad Labem.

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Towns, market towns and villages of Pardubice District

* Barchov
* Bezděkov
* Borek
* Břehy
* Brloh
* Bukovina nad Labem
* Bukovina u Přelouče
* Bukovka
* Býšť
* Časy
* Čeperka
* Čepí
* Černá u Bohdanče
* Choltice
* Choteč
* Chrtníky
* Chvaletice
* Chvojenec
* Chýšť
* Dašice
* Dolany
* Dolní Roveň
* Dolní Ředice
* Dříteč
* Dubany
* Hlavečník
* Holice
* Holotín
* Horní Jelení
* Horní Ředice
* Hrobice
* Jankovice
* Jaroslav
* Jedousov
* Jeníkovice
* Jezbořice
* Kasalice
* Kladruby nad Labem
* Kojice
* Kostěnice
* Křičeň
* Kunětice
* Labské Chrčice
* Lány u Dašic
* Lázně Bohdaneč
* Libišany
* Lipoltice
* Litošice
* Malé Výkleky
* Mikulovice
* Mokošín
* Morašice
* Moravany
* Němčice
* Neratov
* Opatovice nad Labem
* Ostřešany
* Ostřetín
* Pardubice
* Plch
* Poběžovice u Holic
* Poběžovice u Přelouče
* Podůlšany
* Pravy
* Přelouč
* Přelovice
* Přepychy
* Ráby
* Řečany nad Labem
* Rohovládova Bělá
* Rohoznice
* Rokytno
* Rybitví
* Selmice
* Semín
* Sezemice
* Slepotice
* Sopřeč
* Sovolusky
* Spojil
* Srch
* Srnojedy
* Staré Hradiště
* Staré Jesenčany
* Staré Ždánice
* Starý Mateřov
* Stéblová
* Stojice
* Strašov
* Svinčany
* Svojšice
* Tetov
* Třebosice
* Trnávka
* Trusnov
* Turkovice
* Uhersko
* Úhřetická Lhota
* Újezd u Přelouče
* Újezd u Sezemic
* Urbanice
* Valy
* Vápno
* Veliny
* Veselí
* Vlčí Habřina
* Voleč
* Vyšehněvice
* Vysoké Chvojno
* Žáravice
* Zdechovice
* Živanice

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