Soutice

Soutice is a municipality and village in Benešov District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 300 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The villages of Černýš and Kalná are administrative parts of Soutice.

Geography
Soutice is located about 27 km east of Benešov and 52 km southeast of Prague. It lies in the Vlašim Uplands. The highest point is at 451 m above sea level. The Sázava River forms the northern municipal border. The Želivka River flows through the municipality and then joins the Sázava.

History
The first written mention of Soutice is from 1295. It was the centre of a small estate. Until the 1440s, the estate was owned by a local noble family. Even in the following centuries, the estate was the property of various less important noble families.

Transport
The D1 motorway from Prague to Brno passes through the municipality.

Sights
The main landmark of Soutice is the Church of Saint James the Great. Its tower is of Romanesque origin. The chancel probably dates from the second half of the 16th century. In 1864, the church was rebuilt in the Neo-Romanesque style.

A notable building is the Soutice Castle. it was originally a Gothic-Renaissance fortress, rebuilt into the castle in 1674. Today, the castle is in a state of disrepair and is unused.