Vyà ¡kov (; ) is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 21,000 inhabitants. The Haná River flows through the town. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone. The town is known for the Vyà ¡kov Castle and Vyà ¡kov Zoo.
Vyà ¡kov consists of 13 municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):
The name Vyà ¡kov is derived from the personal name Vyà ¡ek or VÃ½à ¡ek.
Vyà ¡kov is located about east of Brno. It lies mostly in the Vyà ¡kov Gate. The northwestern part of the municipal territory extends into the Drahany Highlands and includes the highest point of Vyà ¡kov, the Kuchlov hill at above sea level. The Haná River, formed by the confluence of the Velká Haná and Malá Haná streams in DÃÂdice, flows through the town.
Opatovice Reservoir was built on the Malá Haná in 1972. It serves primarily for water supply.
The first written mention of Vyà ¡kov is from 1141, in a deed of bishop Jindà Âich ZdÃÂk. It was located on crossroads of trade routes from Brno to Olomouc and KromÃÂà ÂÃÂà ¾. In the first half of the 13th century, it was acquired by Olomouc bishops, who owned it for more than 600 years. In the mid-13th century, Vyà ¡kov was promoted to a town.
Vyà ¡kov was fortified in the mid-14th century and the stone walls were built in the 15th century. During the Hussite Wars, the town was conquered and ravaged by the Hussites. The town recovered during the rule of bishop Tas of ÃÂerná Hora in the second half of the 15th century. In the 16th and early 17th centuries, Vyà ¡kov prospered and crafts developed.
Vyà ¡kov was severely damaged by the Thirty Years' War. The town was twice conquered by the Swedish troops and in 1643 it was completely plundered. Only about a third of the houses and residents survived. Vyà ¡kov again recovered, and achieved the greatest development during the rule of Karl II von Liechtenstein-Kastelkorn in the late 17th century. He had rebuilt and extended the local castle and the castle garden. In that time, Vyà ¡kov earned the nickname "Moravian Versailles".
In 1753, the town and the castle were burned down by a large fire. The castle never reached its past glory again, even though it was a meeting place of emperors Alexander I of Russia and Francis II before the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805. After the Napoleonic Wars, the town expanded and the fortifications were partially demolished.
Vyà ¡kov was one of the most affected towns by World War II in the country. It was liberated from German control on 30 April 1945, but the German army merely retreated to the hills around the town and bombed it almost continuously until victory was declared on 9 May.
A Jewish family in the town was first documented in the early 14th century, however, throughout history, Jews have been expelled from the town several times and a continuous settlement did not emerge until the mid-19th century. The Jewish community was established in 1891, but after it ceased to exist during the Holocaust during World War II, it was not restored.
Until World War II, Vyà ¡kov belonged to the smaller Moravian towns, and Brà Âany, DÃÂdice, Kà ÂeÃÂkovice and Nosálovice were separate municipalities. Hamiltony and Pazderna were administered as parts of DÃÂdice, which had the title of a market town, and Nouzka was a part of Nosálovice. In 1941âÂÂ1942, they all became municipal parts of Vyà ¡kov. In 1945, the secession of Brà Âany, DÃÂdice and Kà ÂeÃÂkovice was rejected by the Local Committee of Vyà ¡kov. Efforts to make these parts independent continued in the following years, but unsuccessfully. Opatovice was incorporated into Vyà ¡kov in 1980; Lhota, Paà Âezovice and Rychtáà Âov were incorporated in 1986.
The Czech branch of Lear Corporation has its headquarters and one of the production plants in Vyà ¡kov.
Vyà ¡kov has a top-level rugby team RC Vyà ¡kov, which plays in the Extraliga ragby and has become national champions 14 times.
The town is home to the football club MFK Vyà ¡kov.
The Vyà ¡kov Castle was originally a Gothic castle, rebuilt into the current form in 1665âÂÂ1682. Today it houses the regional museum. The museum is known for its extensive collection folk ceramics, which was produced in Vyà ¡kov from the beginning of the 18th century until 1945. The castle includes a castle garden. The architectural landmark of the garden is the loggia from 1673.
In the historic centre of Vyà ¡kov is the triangle-shaped square Masarykovo námÃÂstÃÂ. Its main landmark is the Renaissance town hall, built in 1569. It has stucco decoration from the 18th century. In the middle of the square are a Marian column, a fountain and a well. The marian column comes from 1719. The Baroque fountain was created in the 18th century and has motif of Ganymede on an eagle. The well is from 1839.
The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is the main church of Vyà ¡kov. The original late Gothic church was built in 1464âÂÂ1466 and rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1773. A Gothic portal from the original church has been preserved. The Chapel of Saint Odile was added in 1692.
The historic centre was delimited by the town walls, the remains of which have been preserved to this day. The town gates were demolished.
The Jewish community is commemorated by the Jewish cemetery and the neo-Romanesque building of the former synagogue. The synagogue is atypically located on the town square.
Among the most visited tourist destinations in the town is the Vyà ¡kov Zoo. It was opened in 1965 and keeps over 130 species of animals. In 2006, a Dinopark was opened in Vyà ¡kov. It shows life-size dinosaur models.
Vyà ¡kov is twinned with: