Odolena Voda

Odolena Voda is a town in Prague-East District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 6,500 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The village of Dolínek is an administrative part of Odolena Voda.

Etymology
The name means "Odolen's Water". The settlement was named after the knight Odolen of Střížovice and refers to the sufficient water in the area in earlier times.

Geography
Odolena Voda is located about 11 km north of Prague. It lies on the border between the Prague Plateau and Central Elbe Table.

History
The first written mention of Odolena Voda is from 1352. Until the Hussite Wars, the village was owned by the Metropolitan Chapter at Saint Vitus in Prague, then it was a property of the Old Town of Prague. In 1547, the properties of the Old Town were confiscated and Odolena Voda was acquired by the Sekerka of Sedčice noble family. However, their properties were confiscated as a result of the Battle of White Mountain. In 1623, Odolena Voda was bought by the Lobkowicz family. From 1671, the village was owned by the Jesuits.

From 1844 to the beginning of the 20th century, there was a sugar factory. In 1953, the aircraft factory was founded, which triggered the growth of the municipality and the influx of residents. In 1998, Odolena Voda was promoted to a town.

Economy
The biggest aircraft manufacturer in the Czech Republic, Aero Vodochody, is based in the town. It employs more than 1,000 people.

Transport
The D8 motorway from Prague to Ústí nad Labem passes next to the town.

Sights
The main historical landmark of Odolena Voda is the Church of Saint Clement. It was built by the architect Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer in the Baroque style in 1733–1735.

Notable people

 * Vítězslav Hálek (1835–1874), poet, writer and journalist
 * Stanislav Huml (1955–2021), politician