Ledeč nad Sázavou

Ledeč nad Sázavou
Ledeč nad Sázavou
Town
	View towards Ledeč nad Sázavou Castle
	Flag Coat of arms
	Ledeč nad Sázavou Location in the Czech Republic
	Coordinates: 49°41′43″N 15°16′40″E / 49.69528°N 15.27778°E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Vysočina
District	Havlíčkův Brod
First mentioned	1181
Government
• Mayor	Zdeněk Tůma
Area
• Total	17.01 km2 (6.57 sq mi)
Elevation	353 m (1,158 ft)
Population (2024-01-01)
• Total	4,832
• Density	280/km2 (740/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	584 01
Website	www.ledecns.cz

Ledeč nad Sázavou (Czech pronunciation: [ˈlɛdɛtʃ ˈnat saːzavou]; until 1921 Ledeč) is a town in Havlíčkův Brod District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,800 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.

Administrative parts

The villages and hamlets of Habrek, Horní Ledeč, Obrvaň and Souboř are administrative parts of Ledeč nad Sázavou.

Geography

Ledeč nad Sázavou is located about 23 kilometres (14 mi) northwest of Havlíčkův Brod and 39 km (24 mi) northwest of Jihlava. The southern part of the municipal territory with the town proper lies in the Křemešník Highlands and the northern part extends into the Upper Sázava Hills. The highest point is the hill Ostojovka at 540 m (1,770 ft) above sea level. The Sázava River flows through the town.

History

The first written mention of Ledeč is from 1181,^[2] when it was written about a noble from Ledeč. In the first half of 16th century, during the rule of the Ledecký of Říčany noble family, Ledeč was promoted to a town.^[3]

In the early 19th century, the railway was built, which helped the economical and cultural development of the area.^[3]

Until 1918, the town was a part of Austria-Hungary, in the district of the same name.^[4] In 1921, Ledeč was renamed Ledeč nad Sázavou.^[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1869	2,823	—
1880	3,058	+8.3%
1890	2,892	−5.4%
1900	2,799	−3.2%
1910	3,181	+13.6%

Year	Pop.	±%
1921	3,202	+0.7%
1930	3,079	−3.8%
1950	3,049	−1.0%
1961	3,914	+28.4%
1970	5,057	+29.2%

Year	Pop.	±%
1980	6,082	+20.3%
1991	6,461	+6.2%
2001	6,043	−6.5%
2011	5,303	−12.2%
2021	4,808	−9.3%

Source: Censuses^[5]^[6]

Transport

Ledeč nad Sázavou is the terminus and starting point of the railway lines from/to Havlíčkův Brod and Čerčany.^[7]

Sights

The main sight is the Ledeč nad Sázavou Castle. The castle was built in the early Gothic style in the first half of the 13th century, and later was rebuilt in Renaissance and Baroque styles. It has a unique sgraffito decoration of the ceiling of the Renaissance hall. The castle now contains a museum and a gallery. It has a 32-metre (105 ft) high tower open to the public.^[8]

Among the main landmarks of the town centre is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. It is a large Gothic building. A unique element is the rib vault, which is not load-bearing and has purely decorative purpose.^[9]

The Church of the Holy Trinity is a Renaissance cemetery church. It dates from 1585.^[10]