Litovel

King´s town of Litovel was founded by Přemysl Ottakar II on middle of 13th century. First written notice is of 1287, the document is kept in town´s archives. Litovel was mentioned also as Luthowl in documents of  Hradisko Monastery. In 1291 the town obtained privileges by Wenceslas II. (right of mile) and in 1327 allowed King Jan Lucemburský the construction of fortifications, its rests you can see now in Park Míru (Park of Peace).

Local town hall can be proud of a fact that its Hall Tower (72 m) is the highest on Morava-river. This tower, together with whole town hall building, form a dominante of main square. Town Hall is mentioned in the oldest preserved Litovel parchment-document of 1287. On Přemysl Ottakar Square, we find also plague column, reminding that in Litovel there were several plague epidemy, the last one was in 1714. This plague-column was created by Wenceslas Render in 1724. As to other Litovel monumen

ts: it is a  stony bridge of St.John, constructed at the end of 16th century, when many merchants arrived to the town and  bridging over was a must. So, this bridge  is the oldest bridge in Moravia, and after Charles Bridge in Prague and bridge in Písek the third oldest bridge in function in Czech Republic. In a building of former shooting-range there is situated town´s museum with ethnological collections. Former Liechtenstein-castle serves as a town´s library.

Litovel belongs to towns where the beer is brewed for hunderds of years. The first notice about beer is of 1291, when the town obtained „mile right“. Citizens of Litovel so had the right, to brew and sell the beer in a circle of one mile.

Text: Miroslava Nováčková

Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Miloš Hlávka, č.2, č.3, Radek Bartoš