Luhačovice is a town in the district of Zlín in the Zlín Region,
16 km southeast of Zlín on the river Šťávnice. The city has a
cadastral area of 33 km² (3,299 ha), 1,099 houses and has a
population of approximately 5,100.
Luhačovice has the fourth
largest spa in the Czech Republic and the largest in Moravia. People
with respiratory diseases, digestion and obesity are mainly treated
here. The spa owes its fame mainly to mineral springs. There are 6
natural springs and dozens of drilled springs in Luhačovice. The
most famous and most important spring of Luhačovské lázně is the
Vincentka spring located in the local colonnade.
Luhačovice lies in the valley of the river Šťávnice (also called
Luhačovický potok) and is surrounded by steep wooded hills. They are the
center of the specific transitional ethnographic area of Luhačovská
Zálesí, located on the border of Wallachia and Slovakia. Although the
city lies at an altitude of 250 meters above sea level and the peaks of
the surrounding hills reach a maximum altitude of 672 meters above sea
level (Komonec peak), there is a noticeable foothill character. Three
kilometers upstream of the river Šťávnice, a dam called Luhačovická or
Pozlovická was built in the 1920s. Her first task was to hold back the
regular floods that ravaged the spa. Over time, however, it also took
over the recreational function and now serves mainly fishermen. The
Fishermen's Association organizes spring and autumn fishing competitions
here, which are known throughout the Czech Republic.
There are a
large number of various cafes, wine bars, restaurants and pastry shops
in the city. Nowadays people go to Luhačovice not only for treatment,
but the conditions here will satisfy visitors who are interested in
tourism, sport and social activities. The ever-increasing level of
hospitality before the First World War and especially after it had a
significant influence on the connection of various branches and the
qualitative growth of Moravian cuisine. For tourism, special circuits
have been created in Luhačovice around the area with natural scenery. In
the vicinity of Luhačovice there are documents about the arrival of the
Slavs in the territory of the Czech Republic, the ruins of castles or
the Serényi castle. There is also a sports hall, tennis courts or a spa
theater in the city.
The city has a valued urban and
architectural face, supported and predicted by the breathtaking rugged
terrain of the connected valleys. The outstanding architects Dušan
Jurkovič, Emil Králík, Oskar Poříska participated in the architectural
form of Luhačovice. Bohuslav Fuchs, one of the pioneers of modern
architecture and an internationally respected personality, even left an
indelible mark here. He developed several land-use plans for Luhačovice,
and boarding houses Radun, Iva, Avion and Viola and villa Sáva were
built according to his design.
The name of the village of Luhačovice, which disappeared in the middle of the 14th century in the vicinity of Dražůvek near Kyjova, was transferred to the settlement (both Luhačovices belonged to the lords of Obřany at the time). The local name Luhačovice was derived from the personal name Luhač, the basis of which was verbal, but otherwise unclear. Originally, it was the designation of the inhabitants of the settlement (Luhačovici - "Luhačovi people"), which was transferred to the settlement itself.
The first traces of Slavic settlement in this region
are documented as early as the 7th and 8th centuries, as evidenced
by archaeological finds in Obor near Luhačovice. The oldest written
mention of Luhačovice dates from 1412, they were promoted to a town
only on June 3, 1936. In German they were called Bad Luhatschowitz.
Location and attractions
Luhačovice is located in the valley
of the river Šťávnice (also called Luhačovický stream) and is
surrounded by steep wooded hills. They are the center of a specific
transitional ethnographic area of Luhačovské Zálesí, located on
the border of Wallachia and Slovácko. Although the town lies at an
altitude of 250 meters and the peaks of the surrounding hills reach
a maximum altitude of 672 meters (Komonec peak), there is a
noticeable foothill character. Three kilometers upstream of the
river Šťávnice, a dam called Luhačovická or Pozlovická was built in
the 1920s. Her first task was to contain the regular floods that
ravaged the spa. Over time, however, it also took over the
recreational function and now serves mainly fishermen. The
Fishermen's Association organizes spring and autumn fishing
competitions here, which are known throughout the Czech Republic.
The city has a large number of different cafes, wine bars,
restaurants and pastry shops. Today, people do not only go to
Luhačovice for treatment, but the local conditions will satisfy
visitors with tourism, sports and social activities. The
ever-increasing level of hospitality before and after World War I
had a significant impact on the interconnection of various branches
and the qualitative growth of Moravian cuisine. For tourism, special
circuits are created in Luhačovice around the area with natural
scenery. In the vicinity of Luhačovice there are documents about the
arrival of the Slavs in the Czech Republic, the ruins of castles or
the Serényi chateau. There is also a sports hall, tennis courts and
a spa theater in the town.
The city has a prized urban and
architectural face, supported and predicted by the breathtaking
rugged terrain of the connected valleys. Excellent architects Dušan
Jurkovič, Emil Králík, Oskar Poříska took part in the architectural
design of Luhačovice. One of the pioneers of modern architecture and
the internationally respected personality Bohuslav Fuchs even left
an indelible mark here. He drew up several zoning plans for
Luhačovice and, according to his design, the Radun, Iva, Avion and
Viola boarding houses and the Sáva villa were built.
The city has the following symbols:
The coat of arms - it forms a
silver shield in which there is a green lawn from which grows an apple
tree with red fruits. Under the apple tree there is a blue pruner on the
right and a blue plowshare on the left.
The flag - consists of three
vertical stripes in the colors blue, white and blue. In the middle of
the white stripe is an apple tree with red fruits.
The administration of the city is carried out by the city council
headed by the mayor. It is elected in municipal elections for four years
and has 21 members.
In 2018, the following members of the council
were elected: Ing. Jiří Šůstek (BEZPP), Mgr. Přemysl Janík (KDU-ČSL),
Mgr. Lenka Semelová DiS. (BEZPP), Mgr. Marcela Pazderová (BEZPP), Mgr.
Roman Lebloch (BEZPP), Robert Kolařík (BEZPP), JUDr. PhDr. Jiří Zicha
(BEZPP), Ing. Martin Plášek (BEZPP), Ing. Marián Ležák (BEZPP), Josef
Michálek (BEZPP), Mgr. Marek Nesázal (BEZPP), Ing. Marek Žmolík (BEZPP),
Mgr. Eva Tomalová (BEZPP), Mgr. Dalibor Liška (STAN), Radomil Kop (ANO
2011), Mgr. Kamil Malota (BEZPP), Tomáš Holub (BEZPP), Bc. Jana
Malaníková (BEZPP), Stanislav Duháň (ODS), PhDr. František Hubáček (ODS)
and Ondřej Suchánek (ODS).
Voter turnout was 47.80% in seven
constituencies. Of the elected representatives, 15 were without party
affiliation, 3 belonged to ODS, 1 to STAN, 1 to ANO and 1 to KDU-ČSL.
The mayor became Ing. Marian Ležák.
Related information can also be found in the articles Zlín District,
Zlín Administrative District with Extended Jurisdiction and List of
Municipalities with Extended Jurisdiction.
The city is located in the
Zlín region with 307 municipalities in the Zlín district with 91
municipalities, it has the status of a municipality with extended
jurisdiction and a municipality with an authorized municipal office, it
is part of the administrative district of Luhačovice with 15
municipalities. It consists of 4 cadastral territories and 4 parts of
the municipality.
In Luhačovice there is a primary school and the Luhačovice Vocational
Secondary School, an educational institution associated with the
international network of UNESCO schools. It is possible to study both
fields of study with and without a high school diploma. The fields of
study with the matriculation exam are focused on Art and Advertising
Management, Information Services and Arts and Crafts Creation (Design
and Woodworking, Design and Metalworking, Design and Ceramics). In the
past, the craft construction of stringed musical instruments was also
taught here. The fields of gastronomy (Cook-Waiter, Cook-Cook and
Waiter-Waitress) are completed with a training certificate. The school
also has a Youth Home for students who cannot commute daily.
The
city has a library, a Children's and Youth Center, which provides
leisure activities for the public.
Many actions and events regularly take place in Luhačovice:
Václav
Hudeček Academy
Spring and autumn fishing competitions
Opening the
springs
Theater Luhačovice
Shibrinky
Krügl Cup Beer Marathon
Liquified Vincent
Food Festival Luhačovice
Volunteer theater Once
a year?
St. Nicholas Sports Day, Slunkotoč, Children's Day, Cycling
and skating races
Many sports are represented in the city. The football club is based
in Radostov, where there is also a multi-purpose sports hall suitable
for indoor sports and aerobics. The tennis club is located in the spa
near Ottovka, but courts can also be rented in many other places. For
swimming, you can use the dam, which was cleaned in 2017, or the
numerous hotel pools; at the end of 2010, a new municipal swimming pool
was put into operation, which is also interesting from an architectural
point of view. TJ Slovan Luhačovice is known especially for its very
successful orienteering section, other sections are cycling, softball
and skiing. The second physical education unit, Sokol Luhačovice,
continued its rich history in 1996, currently handball and skittles
teams compete under this banner.
Several cross-country races are
also organized in and around Luhačovice. The oldest of them is the
Christmas Eve Run, which has been held on December 24 since 1989. The
good-hearted mood of the Christmas holidays also prevails two days later
at the Stepanský run in Pozlovice, which is followed by the Stepanský
march with the ascent to Starý Světlov. In recent years, Kerteam's
Luhačovick Run has been added at the turn of October and November, and
the Run against Diabetes in the spring on the occasion of Diabetology
Days. The LCE triathlon, organized by Sokol at the beginning of the
summer holidays, and bicycle races organized throughout the year have
also become a regular event.
During the winter, the Microregion
of Luhačovická Zálesí prepares three cross-country trails: Pozlovice I,
Pozlovice II and Petrůvka. A ski slope in the Anténka locality is also
in operation.