Discovering Hidden Gems: Czech, Moravian, and Silesian Twin Towns

1. Prague and all its cities

Prague is not just two or three cities; it’s nearly a single large one: our capital. The city consists of numerous municipal and administrative districts where, without proper maps, you couldn’t tell where one district ends and another begins. The merging of these districts started in 1784 when the Old Town, New Town, Mala Strana, and Hradčany combined, making it the second largest city in the Habsburg Monarchy with a population of 76,000 residents.

The city continued to expand in the following years: in 1850, the Josefov district was included; in 1883, Vyšehrad was added; in 1884, Holešovice and Bubny (presently known as Prague 7) joined. By 1901, Libeň became part of Prague. Ultimately, in 1922, the establishment of “Great Prague” occurred when nearly forty additional municipalities from the surrounding area merged with the Prague districts. Ten of these municipalities had previously functioned as independent towns, such as Královské Vinohrady, Žižkov, Košíře, Nusle, Vršovice, Vysočany, Bubeneč, Karlín, Smíchov, and Brevnov.

2. Central Bohemia region and the most famous Czech twin towns

Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav is known as the city of two towns. Its position along both sides of the Elbe River makes it a natural hub in central Polabí. The two towns became a single administrative unit in 1960, giving them a unique distinction as The longest municipal name in the Czech Republic. The Renaissance castle located in Brandýs is noteworthy too: from 1526 to 1918, all kings of Czech lands stayed there. Old Boleslav is also significant because it played a pivotal role in the origins of Czech statehood, with its churches regarded as the spiritual heart of the Czech lands. There’s much more to this area. The Renaissance bridges that have connected the two towns since 1578 were, at one point, the longest bridge system in the Czech Kingdom. Additionally, the chateau mill in Brandýs featured eleven mill wheels, making it the largest in the region, and the Baroque-designed chateau brewery is the only industrial building created by the renowned architect Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer.

In Central Bohemia, you’ll also discover other well-known twin towns. Sedlec and Prčice have been united even longer than Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav, merging into one town named Sedlec-Prčice in 1957. As with other twin towns, their merging stemmed more from political and economic motives than from affection.

Towns are not the only entities merging; municipalities often do as well. For instance, Pňov and Předhradí, located near Kolín close to Bohemia’s largest floodplain forest area, merged in 1969, and the Central Bohemian twin towns list is rounded out by Březová-Oleško.

3. South Bohemian Region and Krty-Hradec

The municipality of Krty-Hradec is located between Strakonice and Horažďovice, has a population of less than 150, and its two originally distinct parts are separated by the Kolčavka stream. The village’s earliest written record is from the 13th century, but it has carried its hyphenated name only since 1997.

4. Pilsen Region, Ostrovec-Lhotka and Zruč-Senec

The twin towns in the Pilsen Region date back to the Middle Ages. The village of Ostrovec-Lhotka, situated near the Křivoklátsko protected landscape, recently celebrated its 900th anniversary, having been mentioned first in 1115 when Prince Vladislav assigned it to the Kladruby monastery. The second twin town, Zruč-Senec, was first recorded in 1252 when it was under the ownership of three brothers: Půta, Vaňek, and Purkart of Vlkošov. However, it was named Zruč-Senec only in 1991. It is well-known primarily because of the aircraft collections at the Air Park Zruč.

5. Karlovy Vary Region and Zádub-Závišín

Three once-separate municipalities—Zádub, Závišín, and Milhostov—were originally part of the Teplá Monastery and for a considerable time were included in Mariánské Lázně. Nowadays, they are separate again and officially known as Zádub-Závišín, forming a charming and appealing suburb of the well-known spa town. Besides the historic golf course, which belongs to the territory of Mariánské Lázně and was inaugurated by King Edward VII of England on August 21, 1905, Zádub was once proud to house a thousand-year-old lime tree. When visitors first came to Mariánské Lázně in the early 19th century, that tree was already in decline; however, its circumference was reportedly 29 meters, and a chapel was built within its hollow trunk that could hold 45 people. Sadly, this tree fell sometime in the 1920s after being damaged in a storm.

6. Ústí nad Labem Region and Zinnwald

Most people associate “twin towns” with places separated by country borders: this is the case for Železná Ruda in Šumava and Bayerisch Eisenstein, as well as for Cínovec and Zinnwald, located in the Erzgebirge mountains. While the Czech part of Cínovec now belongs to the town of Dubí, the section on the German side is part of the former municipality of Zinnwald-Georgenfeld, which is now a part of Altenberg. The area around Cínovec is popular for hiking trails traversing the mountain ridges and the Cínovec peat bog, which are also frequented by cross-country skiers in winter, along with the natural swimming area known as Dlouhý rybník (Long Pond), just a short walk from the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

Děčín could have also become a dual town because the railway line from Prague to Dresden, which developed the small village of Podmokly greatly in the mid-19th century. In 1942, the municipalities of Děčín, Podmokly, and Old Town merged into a single city known as Decin.

7. Liberec Region and the Liberec-Jablonec connection

Although officially separate, both Liberec and Jablonec nad Nisou maintain their independence while functioning almost as if they were twin cities thanks to an inter-city tramway that connected them in the mid-20th century. Currently, the tram line is being rebuilt, and the goal is to have trams back in operation by September 2023. The public transport network in Liberec spans 13 kilometers and winds through beautiful forests and villages, taking about half an hour to travel. Trams used to operate in Jablonec nad Nisou, but buses took over in 1965. In the Liberec region, however, trams have been consistently running since 1897 and continue to do so today.

8. Hradec Králové Region and five little-known twin towns

Have you heard of the twin towns called Castle-Blata? It stretches into the enchanting scenery of the Prachovské Rocks, and on this land, you’ll find the Tea Arbor Floating Clouds. Within the area of the twin town Brada-Rybníček, you can discover the fairy-tale Rumcajs’ Cave, and close to Kostelec nad Orlici are two more twin towns: Hřibiny-Ledská and Synkov-Slemeno. Two more municipalities have also united: Podhorní Újezd and Vojice, located near Spa Bělohrad.

9. Pardubice Region and the Pardubice-Hradec Králové bi-city

Historically, the competition between Pardubice and Hradec Králové goes back to the 16th century. Residents of the two towns referred to each other as “Mechars,” “Gingerbread men,” and “Half-horse men” (you’ll understand why when looking at Pardubice’s coat of arms) and used to write addresses on mail such as “Pardubice near Hradec Králové.” This rivalry is not surprising, as the two regional capitals are merely a little over twenty kilometers apart, allowing residents to see into each other’s backyards, if we’re being a bit dramatic. Presently, the two cities are linked by a cycling path, and thousands commute between them daily; there are proposals for a high-speed railway and a tram line to connect them further. It’s quite unusual for such significant regional centers to be this close together, making their connection quite plausible.

10. Vysočina and eight interconnected municipalities

Biskupice-Pulkov, Cerekvička-Rosice, Chlum-Korouhvice and Lhota-Vlasenice: these four twin towns can be found in the Highlands region. Although Chlum-Korouhvice lies in a picturesque, romantic area near the Vírská dam, it is important to note that the construction of the dam dramatically changed the lives of those in Korouhvice. The original village was submerged, and its inhabitants relocated. This village has been using its current name since 1914.

Biskupice-Pulkov is located southeast of Třebíč within the Rokytná Nature Park near the Rokytná River, and these villages joined together in 1965. The twin town of Cerekvička-Rosice south of Jihlava was formed from the two municipalities merging in 1990. The newest twin town, Lhota-Vlasenice, separated from Kamenice nad Lipou in 1992.

11. South Moravian Region and the record eleven

If each twin town in the South Moravian Region sent a representative, they could easily form a football team with eleven players. This area holds the record for the highest number of twin towns among all regions. Let’s count them: Rájec-Jestřebí is known for its classicist castle. The village of Nový Šaldorf-Sedlešovice is recognized for its wine traditions and Blue Cellars. Meanwhile, folklore enthusiasts and photographers seeking breathtaking views of Moravian Tuscany often visit Svatobořice-Mistřín near Kyjov. Other notable twin towns include Brťov-Jeneč near Černá Hora, Jezeřany-Maršovice near Dolní Kounice, and Nelepeč-Žernůvka close to Tišnov. A significant number of these twin towns are found around Vyškov, such as Račice-Pístovice, Prusy-Boškůvky, and Bohdalice-Pavlovice. Nearby is Rostěnice-Zvonovice, which features a Museum of Earthen Architecture, while Hoštice-Heroltice, which separated from Vyškov in 1990, has a Museum dedicated to agricultural machinery.

12. Zlín Region and eight twin towns

The Zlín Region is also home to several twin towns. In Morkovice-Slížany, located near Kroměříž, you’ll find the Basketmaker’s Museum. Nearby are Počenice-Tetětice, and in Zadveřice-Rakové close to Zlín, you’ll discover sulphur wells and a bike park. The most notable architectural feature in Troubky-Zdislavice is the tomb of Countess Dubský, where the noted writer Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach (1830-1916) is buried. The town of Brumov-Bylnice below the White Carpathians boasts the ancient Romanesque castle of Brumov, which dates back to the early 13th century. The interesting windmill in Bařice-Velké Těšany is worth a visit, and Chvalnov-Lísky is located in a stunning landscape along the slopes of the Chřiby Mountains. Don’t forget to check out the Javorník Ecofarm in Štítná nad Vláří-Popov, which sells not just dairy products but also meats, baked goods, fruit-based items, and cheeses with white mold, all produced organically, making it the only one of its kind in the Czech Republic.

13. The Olomouc Region and Five Twin Cities

The Olomouc Region also has its share of twin towns. If you travel toward Šternberk, you will come across Bělkovice-Lašt’any. Near Kostelce na Hané, you’ll find Bílovice-Lutotín, with a railway running through the valley following an old communication route, namely the Prostějov-Konice branch of the West-Eastern Route, which was part of a long-distance connection linking Western Europe to its East and stretching all the way to Central Asia and China. To the south of Prostějov, you have Hradčany-Kobeřice and Koválovice-Osíčany, while south of Olomouc are the municipalities of Kožušany-Tážaly.

14. Moravian-Silesian Region and Frýdek-Místek

Frýdek-Místek is the largest among the twin towns in the Czech Republic, situated on both sides of the Ostravice River’s mid-course. Some areas are on the historical land border between Moravia and Silesia. Originally, there were two towns: Moravian Místek, which dates back to the 13th century, and the slightly newer Silesian Frýdek. Their union didn’t arise from a mutual agreement among the residents; rather it was decreed during the Nazi occupation. After 1945, lengthy negotiations about the town’s name ensued, concluding with the Ministry of the Interior’s verdict. Since January 1, 1955, the city has been recognized as Frýdek-Místek.

Consequently, Frýdek-Místek has many features in pairs, such as two historic centers, yet it has only one castle with the Beskydy Museum and one basilica named the Silesian Lourdes, known for the Visitation of the Virgin Mary. This town offers excellent sports facilities catering to both athletes and recreational seekers, with numerous outdoor exercise areas available to the public. In addition, the Olešná dam area is perfect for biking and roller skating along the paths along the Ostravice and Morávka rivers, and the Aquapark that overlooks the Beskydy Mountains serves as an attraction.

Additionally, the Moravian-Silesian Region boasts another significant twin town, Český Těšín along with Polish Cieszyn, a city created by the division of two areas between two newly formed states over a century ago. These two distinct regions are now divided by the Olše River, representing a fascinating cultural blend within the area.

You know…? or about the pitfalls of Czech

• • We recognize that many of the examples above are not technically cities but rather should be referred to as twin towns. However, since there isn’t a suitable term in English, we choose to refer to them as double towns.

• • Place names, administrative areas, and twin towns are written in the same format, meaning with a hyphen, closely together, without spaces.

• • When a name consists of multiple words or includes a number (like Prague 8-Karlín), you may use a space-separated hyphen for clarity. Thus, the correct representation can also be Praha 8 – Karlín.

• • For longer texts that contain several such phrases, it’s advisable to maintain consistency by keeping hyphens without spaces throughout.