Slavičín

Slavičín is a town in Zlín District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 6,200 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The villages of Divnice, Hrádek na Vlárské dráze and Nevšová are administrative parts of Slavičín.

Etymology
There are several theories about the origin of the name. The name could be derived from slavík (i.e. 'nightingale'), or there may be a connection with the Slavník dynasty. According to local legend, the name is derived from slavný čin (meaning 'glorious deed').

Geography
Slavičín is located about 24 km southeast of Zlín. It lies in the Vizovice Highlands. The highest point is at 532 m above sea level. The Říka stream flows through the town. The entire municipal territory lies within the Bílé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area.

History
The first written mention of Slavičín is in a deed of Bishop Jindřich Zdík from 1141. For centuries, it was mostly an agricultural village where the craft did not flourish much. In 1860 a tannery was founded here, which was later expanded by a shoe factory. In 1936, an engineering company was established and Slavičín became an industrial village. After the World War II Slavičín further expanded, and in 1964 it became a town.

Transport
Slavičín is located on the railway line Bylnice–Bojkovice.

Sights
The Church of Saint Adalbert is the oldest building in the town. The original church was from the 13th century. After it was destroyed by a fire, this cemetery church completely rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1897.

The Slavičín Castle was built in the Baroque style in 1750. Today it serves as a restaurant.

Notable people

 * Lumír Krejčí (born 1972), biochemist
 * Tomáš Řepka (born 1974), footballer
 * Tomáš Polách (born 1977), footballer
 * Lenny Trčková (born 1978), presenter and model
 * Petra Polášková (born 1979), footballer
 * Stanislav Polčák (born 1980), politician
 * Aleš Urbánek (born 1980), footballer
 * Zdeněk Hřib (born 1981), politician, Mayor of Prague

Twin towns – sister cities
Slavičín is twinned with:
 * 🇸🇰 Horná Súča, Slovakia
 * 🇸🇰 Horné Srnie, Slovakia
 * 🇸🇰 Nová Dubnica, Slovakia
 * 🇸🇰 Uhrovec, Slovakia