Levín

Levín (Lewin) is a market town in Litoměřice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 200 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The village of Horní Vysoké is an administrative part of Levín.

Etymology
The name is derived from the personal name Lev, meaning "Lev's (castle, court)".

Geography
Levín is located about 13 km northeast of Litoměřice and 18 km east of Ústí nad Labem. It lies in the Central Bohemian Uplands and within the České středohoří Protected Landscape Area. The highest point is a hill at 559 m above sea level.

History
The first written mention of Levín is from 1352. At the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, during the rule of Václav of Vartenberk, Levín was promoted to a market town. In 1402 at the latest, the potters' guild was founded in Levín. The town was known for pottery until the beginning of the 20th century, when the supply of good quality clay was exhausted. It was the only place in the country with such long continuous production.

There was a climatic spa in Horní Vysoké. It was founded in the first third of the 19th century, but ceased to exist during World War II.

Transport
There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights
The main landmark of Levín is the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It was built in the late Baroque style in 1788. After the fire in 1791, it was rebuilt in 1798. The Baroque rotunda of the church is supposed to resemble a potter's wheel and thus reminds of the tradition of this craft in Levín.

A notable building is the former town hall. It was built in the late Baroque and Neoclassical styles in 1793.

The ruin of the Levín Castle is located on a hill above Levín. It was built in the 13th century or at the beginning of the 14th century. In the 1420s, during the Hussite Wars, the castle was destroyed. In 1699, a bell tower was built next to the ruins using material from the castle. From the ruins, only the relics of the fortress wall have survived to this day.

Notable people

 * Wilfried Hanke (1901–?), violinist