Blansko (; ) is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Svitava River, on the border of the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area. It is mainly an industrial town.
Blansko was a market town from the 16th century and became a town only in 1905. The town experienced its greatest growth in the second half of the 20th century thanks to the development of the engineering industry.
Administrative division
Blansko consists of 12 municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):
- Blansko (16,429)
- Češkovice (385)
- Dolní Lhota (565)
- Horní Lhota (435)
- Hořice (115)
- Klepačov (615)
- Lažánky (417)
- Obůrka (213)
- Olešná (183)
- Skalní mlýn (5)
- Těchov (470)
- Žižlavice (68)
Etymology
The name is derived from the Old Czech word blana (i.e. 'wet meadows') and the adjective blanský.
Geography
Blansko is located about north of Brno. It lies in the Drahany Highlands. The highest point is the hill Bukovec at above sea level. It is situated in the valley of the Svitava River; the majority of the town is situated on a slope above the left bank of the Svitava. The eastern part of the municipal territory lies in the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area.
History
thumb|275px|General view
Blansko was originally founded as a settlement on the right bank of the Svitava River, today the local part called Staré Blansko ("Old Blansko"). It was located on an important trade route from Bohemia to the regions around Danube. The first written mention of Blansko is from 1136. It was the site of dispute between Jindřich Zdík, the bishop of Olomouc, and Prince Wratislaus of Brno regarding the rights to construct a church in the village.
From the end of the 14th century, a new settlement began to grow on the left bank, known as Nové Blansko ('new Blansko'), which later became the core of the modern town. Both parts developed administratively and economically independently until 1526, when they merged. In the late 16th century during the rule of the Žalkovský of Žalkovice family, Blansko was promoted to a market town. The family had rebuild the local Gothic fortress into a Renaissance residence.
Economy
The largest industrial employers based in the town are Pyrotek CZ (aluminium processor), ČKD Blansko (manufacturing of hydro machines, heavy-duty machining tools and mechanical engineering metallurgy, founded in 1950), and a branch of Synthon (producer of generic drugs).
The longest tradition has the still operating company Metra Blansko (manufacturer of electric measurement devices), which was founded in 1911.
Transport
There are no major roads passing through the municipal territory. There are two second class roads, II/379 (Tišnov–Vyškov) and II/374 (Blansko–Jevíčko).
Blansko is located on the railway line Prague–Brno.
Sport
The town's football club is FK Blansko. The club participated in the 2020–21 season of the Czech National Football League, but was immediately relegated.
Sights
thumb|Blansko Castle
thumb|Town hall
The main sight is the Blansko Castle. The Renaissance castle was built in 1604–1605 by reconstruction of a Gothic fortress from the 14th century. Today it houses the Blansko Region Museum with exhibitions of Moravian Karst and its exploration, the tradition of the iron industry in Blansko and the production of artistic castings.
The Church of Saint Martin was built in 1672–1691. It replaced an original Romanesque and later Gothic church from the 12th century. In 1707–1708, the church was reconstructed and a new tower was added. The tower is open to the public and serves as a lookout tower. The church has one of the oldest bell still extant in Moravia.
The wooden Church of Saint Paraskieva was built in Carpathian Ruthenia in 1601–1641 and brought to Blansko in 1936. It is the oldest church of the Ruthenian Gothic type in the country.
The Klamovka Ironworks is the last preserved foundry and ironworks from the 1850s. It is a typical example of the industrial architecture of the mid-19th century.
The town hall from 1885 replaced an old wooden structure with a tower which originated from the 16th century. In 1904, the clock tower was completed.
- Komárno, Slovakia
- Legnica, Poland
- Mürzzuschlag, Austria
- Scandiano, Italy