Vlašim

Vlašim (Czech pronunciation: [ˈvlaʃɪm]; German: Wlaschim) is a town in Benešov District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 11,000 inhabitants. Vlašim is known for the Vlašim Castle and its English park.

Vlašim
Town
Žižkovo Square
Flag Coat of arms
Vlašim Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°42′23″N 14°53′56″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Central Bohemian
District	Benešov
First mentioned	1318
Government
• Mayor	Luděk Jeništa
Area
• Total	41.42 km2 (15.99 sq mi)
Elevation	365 m (1,198 ft)
Population  (2025-01-01)[1]
• Total	11,434
• Density	280/km2 (710/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	258 01
Website	www.mesto-vlasim.cz

Administrative division

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

• Vlašim (9,990)
• Bolina (408)
• Domašín (618)
• Hrazená Lhota (57)
• Nesperská Lhota (80)
• Polánka (28)
• Znosim (103)

Etymology

The name is derived from the personal name Vlašim, meaning "Vlašim's (property)".^[3]

Geography

Vlašim is located about 17 kilometres (11 mi) southeast of Benešov and 45 km (28 mi) southeast of Prague. It lies in the Vlašim Uplands. The highest point is at 528 m (1,732 ft) above sea level. The Blanice River flows through the town.

Climate

Vlašim's climate is classified as humid continental climate (Köppen: Cfb; Trewartha: Dobk). Among them, the annual average temperature is 9.6 °C (49.3 °F), the hottest month in August is 19.4 °C (66.9 °F), and the coldest month is 0.0 °C (32.0 °F) in January. The annual precipitation is 545.8 millimetres (21.49 in), of which May is the wettest with 76.5 millimetres (3.01 in), while February is the driest with only 25.5 millimetres (1.00 in). The extreme temperature throughout the year ranged from −35.0 °C (−31.0 °F) on 10 February 1956 to 39.1 °C (102.4 °F) on 13 August 1935.^[4]

Climate data for Vlašim, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1935–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	16.0 (60.8)	18.1 (64.6)	23.6 (74.5)	30.0 (86.0)	31.5 (88.7)	36.8 (98.2)	37.3 (99.1)	39.1 (102.4)	36.2 (97.2)	28.3 (82.9)	18.5 (65.3)	17.2 (63.0)	39.1 (102.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	2.9 (37.2)	5.6 (42.1)	9.8 (49.6)	15.6 (60.1)	18.7 (65.7)	23.7 (74.7)	26.5 (79.7)	26.3 (79.3)	20.4 (68.7)	14.0 (57.2)	8.1 (46.6)	4.7 (40.5)	14.7 (58.5)
Daily mean °C (°F)	0.0 (32.0)	1.7 (35.1)	4.6 (40.3)	9.1 (48.4)	12.7 (54.9)	17.3 (63.1)	19.2 (66.6)	19.4 (66.9)	14.2 (57.6)	9.3 (48.7)	4.9 (40.8)	2.2 (36.0)	9.6 (49.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−2.9 (26.8)	−1.9 (28.6)	0.2 (32.4)	3.1 (37.6)	6.7 (44.1)	11.1 (52.0)	12.5 (54.5)	12.9 (55.2)	9.1 (48.4)	5.4 (41.7)	1.9 (35.4)	−0.4 (31.3)	4.8 (40.6)
Record low °C (°F)	−31.8 (−25.2)	−35.0 (−31.0)	−22.0 (−7.6)	−7.2 (19.0)	−3.6 (25.5)	1.2 (34.2)	2.4 (36.3)	1.1 (34.0)	−4.5 (23.9)	−13.0 (8.6)	−21.1 (−6.0)	−24.6 (−12.3)	−35.0 (−31.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	30.7 (1.21)	25.5 (1.00)	35.8 (1.41)	32.0 (1.26)	76.5 (3.01)	57.6 (2.27)	61.1 (2.41)	61.8 (2.43)	48.7 (1.92)	54.7 (2.15)	31.5 (1.24)	29.8 (1.17)	545.8 (21.49)
Average relative humidity (%)	84.4	78.2	74.5	69.0	73.3	71.2	65.6	67.1	75.8	84.2	87.0	84.7	76.3
Mean monthly sunshine hours	56.5	88.2	135.7	203.5	205.0	232.2	238.6	229.0	169.6	101.8	61.9	50.2	1,772.2
Source: Czech Hydrometeorological Institute[4][5][6][7][8]

History

Vlašim Castle

The castle is Vlašim was probably built in 1303 by local noble family, which started calling itself the Vlašim family. The first written mention of the castle and therefore of Vlašim is from 1318. After the Vlašim family, the town was owned by the Trčka of Lípa family and then by the Ostrovec family. As a result of the Battle of White Mountain in 1620, the properties of the Ostrovec family were confiscated and Vlašim was acquired by the Talmberk family in 1622. They owned the town until 1744. From 1744 until the end of World War II, the Vlašim estate was owned by the Auersperg family.^[3][9]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 4,040 —     1880 4,547 +12.5% 1890 4,791 +5.4% 1900 4,936 +3.0% 1910 5,115 +3.6%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 5,075 −0.8% 1930 5,464 +7.7% 1950 7,444 +36.2% 1961 8,747 +17.5% 1970 10,515 +20.2%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 12,613 +20.0% 1991 12,809 +1.6% 2001 12,270 −4.2% 2011 11,723 −4.5% 2021 11,284 −3.7%
Source: Censuses[10][11]

Economy

The most significant industrial company in Vlašim is Sellier & Bellot, a manufacturer of ammunition. It employs more than 1,500 people.^[12]

Transport

There are no major roads passing through the town.

Vlašim is located on the Benešov–Trhový Štěpánov railway line.^[13]

In the northern part of the territory of Vlašim is a small airport, available for national public traffic.^[14]

Culture

Vlašim castle gate

Church of Saint Giles

The castle park hosts an annual festival on 1 May, which is a public holiday in the Czech Republic.^[15]

Sport

The town is home to an association football team, FC Sellier & Bellot Vlašim, which plays in the Czech National Football League, the second tier of Czech football.

Sights

The main landmark of the town is the Vlašim Castle. The original Gothic castle was rebuilt in the Renaissance style in the 16th century.^[9]> It is surrounded by a large English landscape garden with many pieces of romantic architecture such as the Chinese pavilion, Old Castle and its three gates.^[15]

The Church of Saint Giles is a late Gothic building, built in 1522–1523.^[16]

Notable people

• Jan Očko of Vlašim (?–1380), Archbishop of Prague
• Miluše Poupětová (born 1963), artist
• Marcela Krinke-Susmelj (1965–2024), Czech-Swiss dressage rider
• Luboš Kozel (born 1971), football player and manager
• Libor Procházka (born 1974), ice hockey player
• Stanislav Vlček (born 1976), footballer
• Michal Rozsíval (born 1978), ice hockey player
• Michal Řepík (born 1988), ice hockey player

See also

• Votive Panel of Jan Očko of Vlašim