Nové Sedlo (Sokolov District)

Nové Sedlo (Neusattl) is a town in Sokolov District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,600 inhabitants. It is known as an industrial town.

Administrative parts
The villages of Chranišov and Loučky are administrative parts of Nové Sedlo.

Etymology
The name Nové Sedlo literally means 'new saddle' in modern Czech. However, the word sedlo also meant 'village' in old West Slavic languages (similar to the still-current selo of East and South Slavic languages). The attribute nové was added to distinguish from the nearby village of Staré Sedlo ('Old Sedlo').

Geography
Nové Sedlo is located about 6 km northeast of Sokolov and 9 km west of Karlovy Vary. It lies mostly in the Sokolov Basin, only a small part of the municipal territory in the east extends into the Slavkov Forest. The highest point is at 500 m above sea level.

The Ohře River flows along the southern municipal border. There are several small artificial bodies of water in the territory. The largest of them is the multi-purpose Anna reservoir with an area of 4 ha, located inside the built-up area.

History
The first written mention of Nové Sedlo is from 1397. The village was badly damaged during the Hussite Wars. In the 16th century, Nové Sedlo was owned by Sebastian Thüssel of Taltitz, who then sold in to the town of Loket. In 1899, Nové Sedlo was promoted to a market town. Emperor Franz Joseph I promoted it to a town in 1908.

Economy
The region is historically associated with lignite mining. A large part of the municipal territory is also formed by the Družba Mine. In addition to coal mining, Nové Sedlo is known for the production of packaging glass and porcelain.

Transport
The D6 motorway from Karlovy Vary to Cheb runs through the town.

Nové Sedlo is located on the major railway line Plzeň–Karlovy Vary and on the local line Loket–Chodov.

Sights
The main landmark of Nové Sedlo is the Church of the Ascension of Christ. It was built in the neo-Gothic style in 1904. It is a unique half-timbered building, originally built only as a temporary church with a lifespan of 10 years.

A cultural and technical monument is a chimney from the 1890s that is a remnant of the Friedrich Siemens glass factory.

Twin towns – sister cities
Nové Sedlo is twinned with:
 * 🇩🇪 Schwarzenberg, Germany