Zlonice

Zlonice is a market town in Kladno District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,300 inhabitants.

Zlonice
Market town
Aerial view of Zlonice
Flag Coat of arms
Zlonice Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°17′15″N 14°5′32″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Central Bohemian
District	Kladno
First mentioned	1318
Area
• Total	16.07 km2 (6.20 sq mi)
Elevation	223 m (732 ft)
Population  (2025-01-01)[1]
• Total	2,294
• Density	142.8/km2 (369.7/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	273 71
Website	www.zlonice.cz

Administrative division

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

• Zlonice (1,677)
• Břešťany (175)
• Lisovice (67)
• Tmáň (137)
• Vyšínek (125)

Etymology

The name is derived from the personal name Zloňa, meaning "the village of Zloňa's people". The personal name itself was derived from the Czech word zlý, i.e. 'evil'.^[3]

Geography

Zlonice is located about 16 kilometres (10 mi) north of Kladno and 29 km (18 mi) northwest of Prague. It lies in a flat agricultural landscape of the Lower Ohře Table.

History

The first written mention of Zlonice is from 1318. It was a settlement on a trade route. The first written mention of the fortress in Zlonice is from 1576. In the 17th century, the fortress was rebuilt into a Renaissance castle.^[4]

The village of Vyšínek is first mentioned in 1263, Břešťany in 1282, Tmáň in 1382, and Lisovice at the beginning of the 14th century.^[4]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 2,010 —     1880 2,376 +18.2% 1890 2,614 +10.0% 1900 3,051 +16.7% 1910 3,157 +3.5%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 3,240 +2.6% 1930 3,263 +0.7% 1950 2,541 −22.1% 1961 2,605 +2.5% 1970 2,370 −9.0%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 2,243 −5.4% 1991 1,964 −12.4% 2001 2,193 +11.7% 2011 2,149 −2.0% 2021 2,181 +1.5%
Source: Censuses[5][6]

Transport

Zlonice is located on the railway line Louny–Kralupy nad Vltavou.^[7]

Sights

Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary; the castle in the left

Zlonice Castle

The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is the landmark of the town square. There was originally a Gothic church, but it was replaced by the current Baroque church, which was built in 1727–1744 according to the design by František Maxmilián Kaňka.^[8]

Zlonice Castle is originally a Renaissance castle, which was completely rebuilt in the mid-19th century. It has a Neoclassical façade. Today it houses apartments and offices.^[9]

The former Baroque hospital building houses the Memorial of Antonín Dvořák, who lived in Zlonice in 1853–1856. It is a museum that focuses on the life of Dvořák, on the market town's musical tradition and on regional history.^[10]

In Lisovice is a small railway museum.^[11]

Notable people

• Wenzel Krumpholz (1750–1817), mandolin and violin player
• Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904), composer; lived here in 1853–1856 and nicknamed his Symphony No. 1 The Bells of Zlonice
• Eduard Ingriš (1905–1991), Czech-American composer and photographer