Letohrad (; until 1950 Kyà ¡perk; ) is a town in ÃÂstànad OrlicàDistrict 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.
Letohrad consists of four municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):
The original German name Geiersberg meant "vulture's mountain" and the Czech name Kynà ¡perk was created by its transcription. The modern name Letohrad was created by amalgamation of the words letovisko (meaning 'summer resort') and hradisko (meaning 'gord').
Letohrad is located about northeast of ÃÂstànad Orlicàand east of Pardubice. It lies in the Orlické Foothills. The highest point is at above sea level. The Tichá Orlice River flows through the town.
The first written mention of Kyà ¡perk Castle, a predecessor of the settlement, is from 1308 when it was mentioned in Zbraslav chronicles. It was founded by the Lords of à ½ampach in the 13th century. Existence of the castle was last mentioned in 1419. In 1513, the town of Kyà ¡perk 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.
The town experienced a rapid development in the 17th century, when the estate was owned by the Vitanovský of VlÃÂkovice family. During the rule of Hynek Jetà Âich Vitanovský of VlÃÂkovice, Kyà ¡perk 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.
The large fire in 1824 burned down 76 houses. In 1874, a railway crossed Kyà ¡perk, starting the growth of the textile industry. After World War II, Kyà ¡perk turned into a modern town with a major electrotechnical industry.
In 1950, the municipalities of Kyà ¡perk, Orlice, KunÃÂice and Rotnek were merged. The new municipality was named Letohrad. Kyà ¡perk was renamed Letohrad and Rotnek was renamed ÃÂervená. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, the historical centre of the town was renovated.
The OEZ company, manufacturer of circuit breakers, fuses and other wiring equipment, is the largest employer in the town.
Letohrad is located on the international railway line from Prague to Gdynia called Baltic Express, and on the regional line ÃÂstànad OrlicÃÂâÂÂMoravský Karlov. It is also the terminus and start of a line from/to Hradec Králové.
Letohrad is known for its biathlon club, from which several national representatives and Olympic medalists come. There is a ski resort in KunÃÂice.
The town's football club FK OEZ Letohrad plays in the lower amateur tiers.
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 1680âÂÂ1685. It is decorated with stucco by the Italian master Giovanni Maderna.
The original Renaissance Letohrad Castle was built in 1554 and rebuilt in the early Baroque style in 1680âÂÂ1685. 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.
Other museums in the town are the Town Museum and the Museum of Crafts.
Letohrad is twinned with: