Spálov

Spálov (Sponau) is a market town in Nový Jičín District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 900 inhabitants.

Geography
Spálov is located about 24 km northwest of Nový Jičín and 38 km west of Ostrava. It lies in the Nízký Jeseník range. The highest point is the hill Častochov at 587 m above sea level. The Oder River flows along the northern municipal border.

History
The first written mention of Spálov is from 1394, when the village belonged to the Potštát estate. This was valid up to 1611, when Spálov became a separate estate. In 1669, Spálov was bought by the Schertz family. They introduced silver mining here and rebuilt the local fortress into a castle. From 1743 to 1883, the estate was owned by the Záviš family. During their rule, in 1828, Spálov was promoted to a market town.

Transport
There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights
The main landmark of Spálov is the Church of Saint James the Great. It was originally a late Gothic church, rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1732–1734.