Ústí nad Labem

History of the town

The history of Ústí nad Labem began to be written about one thousand years ago. Ústí nad Labem was promoted to a town in the second half of the 13th century, it was granted the Magdeburg right and later John of Luxembourg expanded it and confirmed its privileges. The 16th and the beginning of the 17th century can be considered the peak of the city's development.

During the Thirty Years' War, the city was looted several times and recovered from the crisis for almost two hundred years. During all that time, Ústí nad Labem was only a not very important agricultural center. Until 1830, less than two thousand inhabitants lived in Ústí nad Labem, which has changed dramatically since that year in connection with the tumultuous industrial development.

In the second half of the 19th century, the original provincial town became an important industrial center in the north of the Austro-Hungarian province. The city walls were demolished, the railway was built and brown coal began to be mined. Two ports were also established here, making Ústí nad Labem (in the number of transported goods) the largest port in the monarchy. However, this positive side also had a negative impact, for example in the form of environmental pollution, the destruction of a number of architectural monuments and the escalation of ethnic conflicts between the Czechs and Germans.

Sights and interesting places

Although the city was relatively devastated not only by industry but also by bombing during World War II, a number of important monuments have been preserved. One of them is the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary from 1318, which was seriously disturbed by the bombing of the Second World War. It has been since then that the church tower has deviated from the perpendicular axis by about 2 meters.

Another church monument is the church of St. Adalbert with the Dominican monastery, whose author is Octavio Broggio. In 1972, the second largest organ in the Czech Republic was placed here.

In 1906, a neo-Romanesque church of the Apostle Paul with a brick facade was built.

In the vicinity of Ústí nad Labem you can see the castle Střekov from the beginning of the 14th century, the chateau Větruše from the end of the 19th century, from where there is a beautiful view not only of the city but also of the whole Czech Central Mountains and Ore Mountains. The Erben Lookout Tower also offers an equally impressive view.

A visit to the ZOO in Ústí nad Labem, founded in 1908, also promises a pleasant experience.

Author: Andrea Štyndlová