Slaný - royal town

According to legend, the name of the town Slaný is derived from the salt spring from which salt was boiled. In the 12th century, the Benedictine order from the Ostrov Monastery settled here and in 1136 the church of St. Gothard.

Sometime between 1295 and 1305, Slaný was promoted by Wenceslas II. to the royal city. Unfortunately, the exact year is not known, as well as whether the city was built on a green field or whether the construction also included existing buildings. At that time, however, the center of gravity of the city was completely shifted, and so the church of St. Gothard found himself on the outskirts of the city and walls were built.

In 1371, the city was hit by a devastating fire, after which it was literally covered in ashes and the worst of it came mainly thanks to the support of Charles IV. On the contrary, the town experienced its greatest prosperity during the reign of George of Poděbrady, when new gates, bastions and walls were restored.

In 1658, a Piarist dormitory was founded here and the current museum building was built on the local square. In 1787, Slaný became a regional town. During the Nazi occupation, a large Jewish community disappeared from Slaný, leaving a cemetery and a large synagogue.

During the 1950s, the town lost its status as a district and was annexed to Kladno. In the 1970s, prefabricated housing estates were built here, a prison was set up in the monastery and some districts were completely demolished, so the appearance of the city received a severe blow.

What can you see in Slaný?

When visiting the town of Slaný, you must not forget the local town hall, the monastery, which is currently the seat of the Barefoot Carmelites, the museum, the church of St. Gothard and especially Slánská hora, which is the dominant feature of the whole city. It is a natural area, topped by three crosses, referring to the suffering of the locals during the Thirty Years' War. It is also worth mentioning the Velvarská Gate, one of the original four fortification gates, with a total height of 38 meters.

Author: Andrea Štyndlová