Roudnice nad Labem

Although archaeological excavations prove the settlement in the area of today’s Roudnice nad Labem from prehistoric times, the oldest written records about it date back to the 12th century. Thanks to its favourable location on the so-called Lužická cesta, the former market settlement of Rúdnica quickly gained economic importance and in the 13th century it acquired the status of a town. The name Rúdnica (sometimes also Rúdník) was most probably derived from the ore spring that springs here. After the castle was built, the town became a favourite residence of the Prague bishops and later archbishops, who owned the town.

The most important person in Roudnice nad Labem in the 14th century is undoubtedly the last bishop of Prague, Jan IV of Dražice, who, among other things, built a stone bridge over the Elbe River and the town prospered. In 1421, however, Roudnice was conquered by the Hussites and greatly damaged. During the Hussite invasions, the local monastery was destroyed and never rebuilt. After this very difficult period for Roudnice, the town changed hands several times, which did not contribute much to its further development.

The year 1575 became an important year for the next centuries in Roudnice, when William of Rožmberk bought it and the surrounding villages. The estate was inherited by his wife Polyxena, née Pernštejn, who in 1603 married the highest chancellor of the Bohemian Kingdom, Zdeněk Vojtěch Popel of Lobkowicz. This year marks the beginning of the long reign of the leading Czech family at Roudnice. Their name is associated with intensive economic activity on the Roudnice estate and general prosperity in all spheres of life. The family’s undivided property was the Roudnice estate until 1945.

Other destinations: city tours, Mount Říp, Podřipské Museum, Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Kratochvíl’s lookout tower
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