Zákupy (; ) is a town in Česká Lípa District in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre with the castle is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone.
Administrative division
Zákupy consists of seven municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):
- Zákupy (2,167)
- Božíkov (220)
- Brenná (112)
- Kamenice (159)
- Lasvice (81)
- Šidlov (62)
- Veselí (36)
Geography
Zákupy is located about east of Česká Lípa and west of Liberec. It lies in the Ralsko Uplands. The highest point is the hill Kamenický kopec at above sea level. The southern part of the municipal territory extends into the Kokořínsko – Máchův kraj Protected Landscape Area.
The Svitavka River flows through the town. The Ploučnice flows across the southern part of the territory, but its confluence with the Svitavka is located just outside the territory of Zákupy. There are several small fishponds in the vicinity of the town.
History
thumb|Zákupy Castle
13th–18th centuries
Zákupy was probably founded in the 13th century. The first written mention of Zákupy under the name Richinstadt is from 1315, when Fridman of Richinstadt owned the local fortress. Under the fortress were two villages, Czech and German, which shared a church and which soon merged into one settlement. Zákupy was referred to as a market town in 1378.
Zákupy was held by the noble Pancíř of Smojno family, then by the Lords of Wartenberg, who sold Zákupy to the Berka of Dubá family in the 1460s. During their rule, Zákupy prospered and developed, and in 1541, it was promoted to a town. In 1612, the indebted estate was bought by Jan Novohradský of Kolowrat.
Transport
Zákupy is located on the railway line Liberec–Děčín.
Sights
thumb|Church of Saints Fabian and Sebastian
The town is known for Zákupy Castle. It was created by the reconstruction of the original fortress, which began in 1541. During the reconstruction after the fire in 1573, a large eastern wing was created, and the castle was gradually expanded into four wings. In the 1680s, the castle was rebuilt in the Baroque style. During World War I, there was a hospital in the castle. After World War I, the castle became state property and since the 1970s, it has been open to the public. The castle includes French garden and English park. Since 2002, it has been protected as a national cultural monument.
The historical core is formed by Svobody Square. Main landmarks of the square are pseudo-Gothic town hall from 1867 and Baroque plague column with the statue of Holy Trinity from 1708.