Háj ve Slezsku

Háj ve Slezsku (Freiheitsau) is a municipality and village in Opava District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,200 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The villages of Chabičov, Jilešovice, Lhota and Smolkov are administrative parts of Háj ve Slezsku.

Etymology
The name of the municipality means "grove in Silesia".

Geography
Háj ve Slezsku is located about 8 km northwest of Ostrava and 13 km east of Opava. The northern part of the municipality lies in the Opava Hilly Land, the southern part is located in the Nízký Jeseník range. The highest point is at 364 m above sea level. The municipality is situated on the right bank of the Opava River, which forms the northern municipal border.

History
First settlements in the area were probably established in the 13th century. The first written mention of Chabičov and Smolkov is from 1377. The youngest village is Háj, which was established in 1784 as a part of Chabičov. It was its administrative part until 1922. By the unification of Chabičov, Háj and Smolkov, it officially became an independent municipality, and the three villages became administrative parts. Since 1970, the municipality is called Háj ve Slezsku. Jilešovice and Lhota were incorporated in 1979.

Transport
Háj ve Slezsku is located on the railway line Ostrava–Opava.

Culture
The municipality organizes an annual folklore festival named Rozmarné léto after the most famous novel of local native Vladislav Vančura.

Sights
The main landmark is the Church of Saint Valentine in Chabičov. It was built in 1910–1911. The architectural concept combines Neo-Romanesque, Art Nouveau and Art Deco elements.

Notable people

 * Vladislav Vančura (1891–1942), writer