Oloví

Oloví (Bleistadt) is a town in Sokolov District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,600 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The villages of Hory, Nové Domy and Studenec are administrative parts of Oloví.

Etymology
Both the Czech name Oloví and German name Bleistadt refer to the reason for the founding of the town, which was lead mining (lead = olovo in Czech and Blei in German).

Geography
Oloví is located about 10 km northwest of Sokolov and 21 km west of Karlovy Vary. It lies in the western part of the Ore Mountains. The highest point is at 681 m above sea level. The Svatava River flows through the town.

History
Oloví was founded by Stephan Schlick in 1523 within his newly acquired Hartenberg estate. Since its foundation, lead and to a lesser extent silver were mined in the area. After the properties of the Schlick family were confiscated by King Ferdinand I, the estate was acquired by Lords of Plauen in 1551. In 1561, Ferdinand I separated Oloví from the Hartenberg estate and promoted it to a royal mining town. Because of the Thirty Years' War, the collapsing of tunnels and floods on the Svatava River, mining was reduced.

From 1938 to 1945, the town was annexed by Nazi Germany and administered as part of the Reichsgau Sudetenland. After World War II, the German population was expelled.

Transport
Oloví is located on the railway line Sokolov–Kraslice.

Sights
The main landmark of Oloví is the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel. It was built in the neo-Gothic style in 1901–1902.

Twin towns – sister cities
Oloví is twinned with:
 * 🇩🇪 Kastl, Germany