Roztoky

50°9′41″N 14°23′13″E / 50.16139°N 14.38694°E / 50.16139; 14.38694Country Czech RepublicRegionCentral BohemianDistrictPrague-WestFirst mentioned1233Government • MayorJaroslav Drda (TOP 09)Area • Total8.13 km² (3.14 sq mi)Elevation237 m (778 ft)Population • Total8,971 • Density1,100/km² (2,900/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal codeWebsitewww.roztoky.cz

Roztoky (Czech pronunciation: [ˈrostokɪ]; German: Rostok) is a town in Prague-West District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 9,000 inhabitants.

Etymology

The name is derived from rozdělený tok, i.e. 'divided stream'. It is a common Czech geographical name for places founded at the confluence of a small stream with a river.^[2]

Geography

Roztoky is located north of Prague, in its immediate vicinity. It lies in the Prague Plateau. The highest point is at 310 m (1,020 ft) above sea level. The town is situated on the left bank of the Vltava River, in its meander.

History

According to archaeological findings, the area of Roztoky was inhabited continuously from the early Stone Age to the early Middle Ages. The first written mention of Roztoky is found in the ruling charter from 1233, in which Peter of Roztoky was mentioned.^[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 1,148 —     1880 1,213 +5.7% 1890 1,367 +12.7% 1900 1,575 +15.2% 1910 1,941 +23.2%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 2,609 +34.4% 1930 4,769 +82.8% 1950 5,272 +10.5% 1961 5,905 +12.0% 1970 6,146 +4.1%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 6,138 −0.1% 1991 5,756 −6.2% 2001 5,733 −0.4% 2011 8,140 +42.0% 2021 9,216 +13.2%
Source: Censuses[4][5]

Transport

Roztoky is located on the railway line Prague–Ústí nad Labem via Kralupy nad Vltavou.^[6]

Sights

Levý Hradec is a locality in Roztoky with remains of a Slavic gord founded by the Přemyslid dynasty. In the 980s, Duke Bořivoj I had the first Christian church in Bohemia built here, dedicated to Saint Clement. The church is preserved, but has been rebuilt and expanded many times, and only the foundations of the rotunda under the floor are preserved from the original church.^[7]

Notable people

• Zdenka Braunerová (1858–1934), painter and graphic designer
• Emil Utitz (1883–1956), philosopher and psychologist
• Jiří Srnec (1931–2021), theatre director and artist
• Lubomír Beneš (1935–1995), animator, director and author; lived and died here

Twin towns – sister cities

Roztoky is twinned with:^[8]

• Skawina, Poland

References

External links