Ledeč nad Sázavou

Ledeč nad Sázavou (until 1921 Ledeč) is a town in Havlíčkův Brod District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,800 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.

Administrative parts
The villages and hamlets of Habrek, Horní Ledeč, Obrvaň and Souboř are administrative parts of Ledeč nad Sázavou.

Geography
Ledeč nad Sázavou is located about 23 km northwest of Havlíčkův Brod and 39 km northwest of Jihlava. The southern part of the municipal territory with the town proper lies in the Křemešník Highlands and the northern part extends into the Upper Sázava Hills. The highest point is the hill Ostojovka at 540 m above sea level. The Sázava River flows through the town.

History
The first written mention of Ledeč is from 1181, when it was written about a noble from Ledeč. In the first half of 16th century, during the rule of the Ledecký of Říčany noble family, Ledeč was promoted to a town.

In the early 19th century, the railway was built, which helped the economical and cultural development of the area.

Until 1918, the town was a part of Austria-Hungary, in the district of the same name. In 1921, Ledeč was renamed Ledeč nad Sázavou.

Transport
Ledeč nad Sázavou is the terminus and starting point of the railway lines from/to Havlíčkův Brod and Čerčany.

Sights
The main sight is the Ledeč nad Sázavou Castle. The castle was built in the early Gothic style in the first half of the 13th century, and later was rebuilt in Renaissance and Baroque styles. It has a unique sgraffito decoration of the ceiling of the Renaissance hall. The castle now contains a museum and a gallery. It has a 32 m high tower open to the public.

Among the main landmarks of the town centre is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. It is a large Gothic building. A unique element is the rib vault, which is not load-bearing and has purely decorative purpose.

The Church of the Holy Trinity is a Renaissance cemetery church. It dates from 1585.

Notable people

 * Zdeněk Bárta (1891–1987), fencer
 * František Laudát (born 1960), politician
 * Jiří Havlíček (born 1976), politician