Lány (Kladno District)

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Lány
Lány Castle
Lány Castle
Flag of Lány
Coat of arms of Lány
Lány is located in Czech Republic
Lány
Lány
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°7′23″N 13°57′2″E / 50.12306°N 13.95056°E / 50.12306; 13.95056Coordinates: 50°7′23″N 13°57′2″E / 50.12306°N 13.95056°E / 50.12306; 13.95056
Country Czech Republic
RegionCentral Bohemian
DistrictKladno
First mention1392
Government
 • MayorKarel Sklenička
Area
 • Total33.97 km2 (13.12 sq mi)
Elevation
421 m (1,381 ft)
Population
 (2021-01-01)[1]
 • Total2,291
 • Density67/km2 (170/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
270 61
Websitewww.obec-lany.cz

Lány is a municipality and village in Kladno District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,300 inhabitants. It lies 35 km (22 mi) west of Prague, outside the main road towards Karlovy Vary. Lány is well known for the Lány Castle.

Administrative parts[]

The village of Vašírov is an administrative part of Lány.

Etymology[]

The word 'lány means in Czech "field'" or "tracts (of land)".

History[]

The first written mention of Lány is from 1392.[2]

Until 1918, the village was part of the Austrian monarchy (Austria side after the compromise of 1867), in the Schlan (Slaný) district, one of the 94 Bezirkshauptmannschaften (district office) in Bohemia. A post-office was opened in 1869.[3]

The second oldest horse-drawn iron wagonway in continental Europe operated between Prague and Lány (originally planned to reach Plzeň) from 1830 until 1869. Its final station was in present-day forester's lodge of Píně.

Sights[]

Its major landmark is a castle, serving as a summer residence of Czechoslovak and later Czech Presidents. There is also a sports car museum and Museum of T. G. Masaryk, the first President of Czechoslovakia. Both President Masaryk and his wife are buried in the local cemetery.

Lány Castle[]

In the 16th century, a Renaissance keep was built in Lány. In 1592, the keep was rebuilt to a hunting castle. It changed owners many times and underwent a major reconstruction in 1902–1903. In 1921, it was purchased by the Czechoslovak state and designated as an official summer presidential residence. Slovene architect Jože Plečnik was commissioned to make improvements both to the castle and the adjacent park. T. G. Masaryk, the first President, liked the castle and was allowed to stay there after his abdication in 1935 until his death in 1937. From 1921 served as his favourable summer residence.[4] During World War II, the castle was a residence of Emil Hácha, an increasingly ill and incapacitated President of Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.

The castle was used only rarely during the Communist era. Many valuable artefacts, especially those designed by Jože Plečnik, were discarded during the tenure of Gustáv Husák. Only after the Velvet Revolution did the new President Václav Havel start to come to the castle regularly. Since then, it has been a place of many official sessions between the President and other top politicians.

The castle itself is closed to the public. The castle park is accessible on selected days, including weekends and public holidays.

Transport[]

The closest train station is Stochov (formerly Lány) about 3 km (1.9 mi) away, still preserving Masaryk's salon used by the President before boarding a train.

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2021". Czech Statistical Office. 2021-04-30.
  2. ^ "Obec Lány" (in Czech). Obec Lány. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  3. ^ Die postalischen Abstempelungen auf den österreichischen Postwertzeichen-Ausgaben 1867, 1883 und 1890, Wilhelm Klein, 1967
  4. ^ Vratislav Preclík: MDH uctilo památku Prezidenta Osvoboditele, in Čas: časopis Masarykova demokratického hnutí, červenec – září 2015, roč. XXIII. čís. 111. ISSN 1210-1648, str. 16 - 17

External links[]

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