Loděnice (Beroun District)

Loděnice is a municipality and village in Beroun District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,000 inhabitants. The municipality is home to GZ Media, the world's largest vinyl records manufacturer.

Loděnice
Municipality
Aerial view of Loděnice
Flag Coat of arms
Loděnice Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°59′42″N 14°9′29″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Central Bohemian
District	Beroun
First mentioned	1179
Area
• Total	6.08 km2 (2.35 sq mi)
Elevation	255 m (837 ft)
Population  (2025-01-01)[1]
• Total	2,040
• Density	340/km2 (870/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	267 12
Website	lodenice.cz

Administrative division

Loděnice consists of two municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):^[2]

• Loděnice (1,676)
• Jánská (308)

Etymology

The settlement was named after the Loděnice River.^[3]

Geography

Loděnice is located about 7 kilometres (4 mi) northeast of Beroun and 17 km (11 mi) southwest of Prague. It lies on the border between the Křivoklát Highlands and Hořovice Uplands. The highest point is a hill at 443 m (1,453 ft) above sea level. The Loděnice River flows through the municipality.

History

The first written mention of Loděnice is from 1179, in the record of a battle for the Bohemian throne between dukes Soběslav II and Frederick, which took place there.^[4]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 526 —     1880 719 +36.7% 1890 803 +11.7% 1900 1,224 +52.4% 1910 1,456 +19.0%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 1,472 +1.1% 1930 1,640 +11.4% 1950 1,367 −16.6% 1961 1,637 +19.8% 1970 1,560 −4.7%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 1,503 −3.7% 1991 1,548 +3.0% 2001 1,520 −1.8% 2011 1,717 +13.0% 2021 1,984 +15.6%
Source: Censuses[5][6]

Economy

The world's largest vinyl records manufacturer, GZ Media, is located in Loděnice. It employs more than 1,500 people.^[7]

Transport

Railway station

The D5 motorway from Prague to Plzeň passes through the municipality.

Loděnice lies on a railway line leading from Prague to Beroun.^[8]

Sights

The main landmark of Loděnice is the Church of Saint Wenceslaus. It was built in the Baroque style in 1726. The church tower has a Romanesque core. The rectory next to the church is a late Baroque building from the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.^[9]

In popular culture

The 1966 Oscar-winning film Closely Watched Trains was filmed in and around the local railway station. There is a small museum dedicated to the film and to the Prague–Beroun railway line.^[10]