Libníč

Libníč is a municipality and village in České Budějovice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 600 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The village of Jelmo is an administrative part of Libníč.

Etymology
The initial name of the village was Libníče. The name was derived from the personal name Libník, meaning "Libník's (village)".

Geography
Libníč is located about 6 km northeast of České Budějovice. It lies in the Třeboň Basin. The highest point is the Čakov hill at 554 m above sea level.

History
The first written mention of Libníč is from 1394. The next mention is from 1490, when it was part of the Hluboká estate owned by the Pernštejn family. From 1571 to 1801, silver was mined in several local adits, but after the peak in the 1580s, the mining slowly declined.

In 1681, the healing effects of the local spring of sulphite-iron water were discovered, and so in 1714 the construction of spa buildings began. The operation of the spa continued for 200 years until the spring died out, which was attributed to mining activities. Libníč became an independent municipality in 1785 under the name Libnič.

In the middle of the 19th century, the spa gradually began to decline, but Libnič remained a popular resort and several villas were built there. In 1923, the municipality changed its name from Libnič to Libníč. From 1976 to 1990, Libníč was merged with Rudolfov.

Economy
In 2010, a photovoltaic power station was put into operation in the municipality.

Transport
The D3 motorway (part of the European route E55) from Prague to České Budějovice briefly passes through the western part of the municipality.

Sights
In 1715, a Baroque castle and a chapel were built. The castle was extended and rebuilt into a spa building in 1770. In 1952, it was rebuilt into a retirement home. The chapel was rebuilt into the Church of the Holy Trinity in 1788, which has been a parish church since 1855.

Architecturally valuable are the villas built in the late 19th century. The main landmark of the centre of Libníč is Bezdíček's villa, today used as the municipal office and a pub.