Kestřany is a municipality and village in Písek District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 700 inhabitants.

Kestřany
Horní Fortress
Horní Fortress
Flag of Kestřany
Coat of arms of Kestřany
Kestřany is located in Czech Republic
Kestřany
Kestřany
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°16′9″N 14°4′21″E / 49.26917°N 14.07250°E / 49.26917; 14.07250
Country Czech Republic
RegionSouth Bohemian
DistrictPísek
First mentioned1338
Area
 • Total
20.10 km2 (7.76 sq mi)
Elevation
373 m (1,224 ft)
Population
 (2024-01-01)[1]
 • Total
731
 • Density36/km2 (94/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
398 21
Websitewww.kestrany-pisecko.cz

Administrative parts

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The villages of Lhota u Kestřan and Zátaví are administrative parts of Kestřany.

Etymology

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The name Kestřany is probably derived from Kestra, which was the name of the first settler. His name has origin in kostra, meaning 'skeleton'.[2]

Geography

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Kestřany is located about 6 kilometres (4 mi) southwest of Písek and 42 km (26 mi) northwest of České Budějovice. The southwestern part of the municipal territory with the Kestřany village lies České Budějovice Basin, the northeastern part lies in the Tábor Uplands.

The Otava River flows through the municipality. The territory is rich in fishponds. The largest pond is Řežabinec, a part of the Řežabinec a Řežabinecké tůně National Nature Monument.

Climate

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Climate data for Kestřany
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Daily mean °C (°F) −0.2
(31.6)
0.3
(32.5)
4.4
(39.9)
10.5
(50.9)
14.4
(57.9)
18.0
(64.4)
19.9
(67.8)
18.7
(65.7)
14.8
(58.6)
9.3
(48.7)
4.8
(40.6)
0.7
(33.3)
9.6
(49.3)
Source: [3]

History

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Church of Saint Catherine

The first written mention of the Horní Fortress is from 1315. The first written mention of Kestřany is from 1338.[4]

Demographics

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Historical population
YearPop.±%
1869961—    
18801,052+9.5%
18901,012−3.8%
19001,025+1.3%
1910944−7.9%
YearPop.±%
1921957+1.4%
1930874−8.7%
1950722−17.4%
1961729+1.0%
1970657−9.9%
YearPop.±%
1980600−8.7%
1991617+2.8%
2001641+3.9%
2011678+5.8%
2021733+8.1%
Source: Censuses[5][6]

Transport

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The southern part of the municipal territory is briefly crossed by the České BudějoviceStrakonice railway line. The nearest train station in is Sudoměř.

Sights

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Dolní Fortress

Kestřany is known for a complex of two gothic fortresses and one early baroque castle. The fortresses were built in the 13th century and the castle was added in 1651. Only the Horní Fortress is open to the public, but these monuments are gradually repaired and their opening is planned for the future.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
  2. ^ "Původ názvu Kestřany" (in Czech). Obec Kestřany. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  3. ^ "PV potential estimation utility". Photovoltaic Geographical Information System - Interactive Maps. Archived from the original on 2018-09-20. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  4. ^ "Horní tvrz Kestřany" (in Czech). Obec Kestřany. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  5. ^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
  6. ^ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
  7. ^ "Horní tvrz Kestřany" (in Czech). CzechTourism. Retrieved 2022-08-31.
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