Kynšperk nad Ohří

Town in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic

Flag

Coat of arms

50°7′8″N 12°31′59″E / 50.11889°N 12.53306°E / 50.11889; 12.53306Country

Czech RepublicRegionKarlovy VaryDistrictSokolovFounded1232Government

• MayorMarek MatoušekArea

• Total23.31 km² (9.00 sq mi)Elevation

431 m (1,414 ft)Population

(2024-01-01)^[1]

• Total4,496 • Density190/km² (500/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal codes

357 51, 358 01

Websitewww.kynsperk.cz

Kynšperk nad Ohří (Czech pronunciation: [ˈkɪnʃpɛrk ˈnat oɦr̝iː]; German: Königsberg an der Eger) is a town in Sokolov District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,500 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The villages of Chotíkov, Dolní Pochlovice, Dvorečky, Kamenný Dvůr, Liboc, Štědrá and Zlatá are administrative parts of Kynšperk nad Ohří.

Geography

Kynšperk nad Ohří is located about 10 kilometres (6 mi) southwest of Sokolov and 28 km (17 mi) southwest of Karlovy Vary. It is situated mostly in the Cheb Basin. The southeastern part of the municipal territory extends into the Slavkov Forest and includes the highest point of Kynšperk nad Ohří at 580 m (1,900 ft) above sea level.

The Ohře River flows through the town. North of the town is located Boží požehnání Lake, an artificial lake created during the revitalization of a former lignite mine.

History

The town was founded in 1232. The town's founding charter is the oldest preserved document of establishing a locality in the Czech Republic and is stored in the National Archives in Prague.^[2]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1869	5,640	—
1880	5,635	−0.1%
1890	5,438	−3.5%
1900	6,253	+15.0%
1910	6,903	+10.4%

Year	Pop.	±%
1921	6,702	−2.9%
1930	7,061	+5.4%
1950	3,458	−51.0%
1961	4,140	+19.7%
1970	5,542	+33.9%

Year	Pop.	±%
1980	5,095	−8.1%
1991	5,202	+2.1%
2001	5,160	−0.8%
2011	5,736	+11.2%
2021	4,985	−13.1%

Source: Censuses^[3]^[4]

Transport

The D6 motorway runs next to the town.

Kynšperk nad Ohří is located on the main railway lines Prague–Cheb and Plzeň–Karlovy Vary.^[5]

Sights

The main landmark of the town is the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It was built in the Baroque style in 1721–1727 and belongs to the most significant Baroque monuments in the region.^[6]

Notable people

Caspar Buberl (1834–1899), American sculptor
Alfred Scharf (1900–1965), British art historian

Twin towns – sister cities

Kynšperk nad Ohří is twinned with:^[7]

Himmelkron, Germany

References

^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
^ "Zakládací listina" (in Czech). Město Kynšperk nad Ohří. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011 – Okres Sokolov" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21. pp. 7–8.
^ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
^ "Detail stanice Kynšperk n.Ohří" (in Czech). České dráhy. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
^ "Kostel Nanebevzetí Panny Marie" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
^ "Partnerské město Himmelkron" (in Czech). Město Kynšperk nad Ohří. Retrieved 2020-07-24.