Letohrad

{{Infobox settlement | name = Letohrad | other_name = | settlement_type = Town  | image_skyline = Letohrad, náměstí IV.jpg | image_caption = Václavské Square | image_flag = Flag_of_Letohrad_CZ.svg | image_shield = Letohrad_CoA_CZ.svg  | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{CZE}} | subdivision_type1 = Region | subdivision_name1 = Pardubice | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = Ústí nad Orlicí  | image_map = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Czech Republic | pushpin_relief = 1 | pushpin_map_caption = Location in the Czech Republic | coordinates = {{coord|50|2|9|N|16|29|56|E|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_footnotes =  | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = Petr Fiala  | established_title = First mentioned | established_date = 1308  | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 23.55  | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 372  | population_as_of = 2025-01-01 | population_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|title=Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2025|url=https://csu.gov.cz/produkty/population-of-municipalities-t4l3n8d2iw|publisher=Czech Statistical Office|date=2025-05-16}}</ref> | population_total = 6407 | population_density_km2 = auto  | timezone1 = CET | utc_offset1 = +1 | timezone1_DST = CEST | utc_offset1_DST = +2  | postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = 561 51 | area_code_type = | area_code =  | website = {{URL|https://www.letohrad.eu/}} | footnotes = }} '''Letohrad''' ({{IPA|cs|ˈlɛtoɦrat}}; until 1950 '''Kyšperk'''; {{langx|de|Geiersberg}}) is a town in Ústí nad Orlicí District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 6,400 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone.

==Administrative division== Letohrad consists of four municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):<ref>{{cite web |title=Public Census 2021 – basic data|url=https://vdb.czso.cz/vdbvo2/faces/en/index.jsf?page=vystup-objekt-parametry&z=T&f=TABULKA&sp=A&skupId=4690&katalog=33475&pvo=SLD21043-CO|work=Public Database|publisher=Czech Statistical Office|language=cs|date=2022}}</ref> {{div col|colwidth=12em}} *Letohrad (3,921) *Červená (205) *Kunčice (1,016) *Orlice (1,028) {{div col end}}

==Etymology== The original German name Geiersberg meant "vulture's mountain" and the Czech name Kynšperk was created by its transcription. The modern name Letohrad was created by amalgamation of the words ''letovisko'' (meaning 'summer resort') and ''hradisko'' (meaning 'gord').<ref name=history>{{cite web |title=Historie města|url=https://www.kcl.letohrad.eu/historie%2Dmesta/d-1079/p1=2576|publisher=Kulturní centrum Letohrad|access-date=2025-09-08}}</ref>

==Geography== Letohrad is located about {{convert|10|km|0}} northeast of Ústí nad Orlicí and {{convert|50|km|abbr=on}} east of Pardubice. It lies in the Orlické Foothills. The highest point is at {{convert|545|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level. The Tichá Orlice River flows through the town.

==History== thumb|Church of Saint Wenceslaus The first written mention of Kyšperk Castle, a predecessor of the settlement, is from 1308 when it was mentioned in Zbraslav chronicles. It was founded by the Lords of Žampach in the 13th century. Existence of the castle was last mentioned in 1419. In 1513, the town of Kyšperk was first mentioned. It was probably founded much earlier as a settlement beneath the castle, but it had the same owner all the time and there was no reason to create records.<ref name=history/>

The town experienced a rapid development in the 17th century, when the estate was owned by the Vitanovský of Vlčkovice family. During the rule of Hynek Jetřich Vitanovský of Vlčkovice, Kyšperk greatly improved its state: he had rebuilt the original fortress into a Baroque castle, had built a castle chapel which later became the Church of Saint Wenceslaus, handcraftsmen were allowed to establish guilds, and a hospital for poor and old people was founded.<ref name=history/>

The large fire in 1824 burned down 76 houses. In 1874, a railway crossed Kyšperk, starting the growth of the textile industry. After World War II, Kyšperk turned into a modern town with a major electrotechnical industry.<ref name=history/>

In 1950, the municipalities of Kyšperk, Orlice, Kunčice and Rotnek were merged. The new municipality was named Letohrad. Kyšperk was renamed Letohrad and Rotnek was renamed Červená. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, the historical centre of the town was renovated.<ref name=history/><ref name=about>{{cite web |title=Město ve faktech|url=https://www.letohrad.eu/mesto%2Dve%2Dfaktech/ds-2556/|publisher=Město Letohrad|language=cs|access-date=2025-09-08}}</ref>

==Demographics== {{historical populations |align=none|cols=3 |1869|3461 |1880|3543 |1890|3656 |1900|3863 |1910|4189 |1921|4225 |1930|4523 |1950|4092 |1961|4844 |1970|5078 |1980|5624 |1991|6203 |2001|6283 |2011|6318 |2021|6170 |source=Censuses<ref>{{cite web |title=Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011|url=https://csu.gov.cz/produkty/historicky-lexikon-obci-1869-az-2015|publisher=Czech Statistical Office|language=cs|date=2015-12-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Population Census 2021: Population by sex|url=https://vdb.czso.cz/vdbvo2/faces/en/index.jsf?page=vystup-objekt-parametry&z=T&f=TABULKA&sp=A&skupId=4429&katalog=33515&pvo=SLD21001-OB-OK|work=Public Database|publisher=Czech Statistical Office|date=2021-03-27}}</ref>}}

==Economy== The OEZ company, manufacturer of circuit breakers, fuses and other wiring equipment, is the largest employer in the town.<ref>{{cite web |title=Historical|url=https://www.oez.com/about-the-company/historical|publisher=OEZ s.r.o.|access-date=2022-06-16}}</ref>

==Transport== Letohrad is located on the international railway line from Prague to Gdynia called Baltic Express, and on the regional line Ústí nad Orlicí–Moravský Karlov. It is also the terminus and start of a line from/to Hradec Králové.<ref>{{cite web |title=Detail stanice Letohrad|url=https://www.cd.cz/stanice/letohrad/5453330|publisher=České dráhy|language=cs|access-date=2025-09-08}}</ref>

==Sport== Letohrad is known for its biathlon club, from which several national representatives and Olympic medalists come. There is a ski resort in Kunčice.<ref name=about/>

The town's football club FK OEZ Letohrad plays in the lower amateur tiers.

==Sights== thumb|Letohrad Castle The historical centre is formed by Václavské Square with preserved Baroque burgher houses, the Church of Saint Wenceslaus, the castle, and Marian column in the middle of the square. The Church of Saint Wenceslaus was built in the Baroque style in 1680–1685. It is decorated with stucco by the Italian master Giovanni Maderna.<ref name=about/><ref name=history/>

The original Renaissance Letohrad Castle was built in 1554 and rebuilt in the early Baroque style in 1680–1685. It contains an exposition on contemporary way of life open to the public. Rest of the premises houses a hotel, a school, the cultural centre, and the Museum of Jára Cimrman. The castle is surrounded by an English-style park.<ref name=history/>

Other museums in the town are the Town Museum and the Museum of Crafts.

==Notable people== *František Vladislav Hek (1769–1847), early activist of Czech National Revival; died here *Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939), painter; lived and worked in the town in 1934–1935 *Josef Korbel (1909–1977), diplomat *Vlasta Štěpová (born 1938), politician and economist *Michal Šlesingr (born 1983), biathlete; raised here *Ondřej Moravec (born 1984), biathlete; raised here

==Twin towns – sister cities== {{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic}} Letohrad is twinned with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Partnerská města|url=https://www.letohrad.eu/partnerska-mesta/ds-2570|publisher=Město Letohrad|language=cs|access-date=2025-09-08}}</ref> *{{flagicon|CRO}} Daruvar, Croatia *{{flagicon|SUI}} Hausen am Albis, Switzerland *{{flagicon|POL}} Niemcza, Poland

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category|Letohrad}} *{{official|https://www.letohrad.eu/}}

{{authority control}} Category:Cities and towns in the Pardubice Region Category:Populated places in Ústí nad Orlicí District