Měcholupy (Louny District)

Měcholupy (Michelob) is a market town in Louny District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,000 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The villages of Milošice, Velká Černoc and Želeč are administrative parts of Měcholupy.

Geography
Měcholupy is located about 21 km southwest of Louny, 55 km southwest of Ústí nad Labem and 60 km northwest of Prague. The northern part of the municipal territory lies in the Most Basin. The southern part lies in the Rakovník Uplands and includes the highest point of Měcholupy at 433 m above sea level. The market town is situated on the Blšanka River.

History
The first written mention of Měcholupy is from 1295. Among the owners of the village were King Vladislaus II, the Sekera od Sedčice family, and members of the dynasties of Kolowrat and Lobkowicz. At the end of the 17th century, during the rule of Karl of Paar, the local fortress was rebuilt into a Baroque castle with a chapel.

In 1860, Anton Dreher bought Měcholupy, established a new brewery and had rebuilt the castle into its current appearance. The village was promoted to a market town in 1875. The Michelob beer brand of Anheuser-Busch was introduced in 1896 and was named after the German name of Měcholupy.

Economy
Měcholupy is located in an area known for growing the Saaz hops.

Transport
Měcholupy lies on a railway line heading from Jirkov and Chomutov to Lužná. There are two stations and stops: Měcholupy and Želeč.

Sights
Today the Měcholupy Castle serves as a special school.

In the centre of Želeč are a late Baroque castle and the Church of Saint Nicholas. It is a Baroque church from 1750. The tower was added in 1842.

The Church of Saint Wenceslaus in Velká Černoc was built in the Baroque style in 1783–1787.