Kralovice

Town in Plzeň, Czech Republic

Coat of arms

49°58′48″N 13°29′9″E / 49.98000°N 13.48583°E / 49.98000; 13.48583Country

Czech RepublicRegionPlzeňDistrict Plzeň-NorthFirst mentioned1183Government

• MayorKarel PopelArea

• Total39.80 km² (15.37 sq mi)Elevation

435 m (1,427 ft)Population

(2024-01-01)^[1]

• Total3,493 • Density88/km² (230/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal code

331 41

Websitewww.kralovice.cz

Kralovice (Czech pronunciation: [ˈkralovɪtsɛ]; German: Kralowitz) is a town in Plzeň-North District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,500 inhabitants. It is known for the former pilgrimage site of Mariánská Týnice.

Administrative parts

The villages of Bukovina, Hradecko, Mariánský Týnec, Řemešín and Trojany are administrative parts of Kralovice.

Geography

Kralovice is located about 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Plzeň. The southern part of the municipal territory with the town proper lies in the Plasy Uplands. The northern part lies in the Rakovník Uplands. The highest point is a hill at 573 m (1,880 ft) above sea level. The Kralovický Stream flows through the town. There are several small ponds around the town.

History

The first written mention of Kralovice is from 1183, when Duke Frederick donated it to the Plasy Monastery. In 1547, Kralovice gained coat of arms and became a town.^[2]

Until 1918, the town was part of Austria-Hungary, head of the district of the same name, one of the 94 Bezirkshauptmannschaften in Bohemia.^[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1869	2,883	—
1880	2,773	−3.8%
1890	2,773	+0.0%
1900	2,873	+3.6%
1910	2,836	−1.3%

Year	Pop.	±%
1921	2,818	−0.6%
1930	3,154	+11.9%
1950	2,718	−13.8%
1961	2,778	+2.2%
1970	3,081	+10.9%

Year	Pop.	±%
1980	3,224	+4.6%
1991	3,340	+3.6%
2001	3,490	+4.5%
2011	3,453	−1.1%
2021	3,380	−2.1%

Source: Censuses^[4]^[5]

Transport

The I/27 road from Plzeň to Žatec passes through the town.

Kralovice is the final station of the railway line from Prague via Rakovník. Historic trains run on it and it is only in operation during the summer tourist season on weekends.^[6]

Sights

The main landmark of Kralovice is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. The originally Gothic church from the mid-14th century was rebuilt in the late Renaissance style in 1575–1581. Its chapel dates from 1868.^[7]

The village of Mariánský Týnec is known for the former pilgrimage site of Mariánská Týnice. It is a Baroque complex formed by a monastery and the Church of the Annunciation. Today the monastery houses the Museum and Gallery of the Northern Plzeň Region.^[8]

Notable people

Isa Grégrová (1878–1962), actress
Marie Uchytilová (1924–1989), sculptor

References

^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
^ "Historie města Kralovice" (in Czech). Město Kralovice. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
^ Die postalischen Abstempelungen auf den österreichischen Postwertzeichen-Ausgaben 1867, 1883 und 1890, Wilhelm Klein, 1967
^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011 – Okres Plzeň-sever" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21. pp. 5–6.
^ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
^ "Kralovický rychlík" (in Czech). Klub železničních cestovatelů. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
^ "Kostel sv. Petra a Pavla" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2022-09-23.
^ "History". Museum and Gallery of the Northern Plzeň Region. Retrieved 2022-09-23.