User:Lodicka

Hranice is an important cultural and industrial town of the region, with outstanding natural attractions scattered in the surrounding areas. The major part of the town lies on the right bank of the river Bečva in the Moravian Gate valley, between the Oderské vrchy Mountains and the Podbeskydské hills.

Interesting facts about Hranice
• Has a population of 19 618 (statistical data as at 31 December 20002).

• Situated approximately 250 m above sea level.

• Hranice and the integrated villages cover an area of more than 52 sq km.

• Hranice districts: Drahotuše, Lhotka, Rybáře, Slavíč, Středolesí, Uhřinov, Valšovice and Velká

• Partner towns: Hlohovec(SK), Leidschendam - Voorburg(NL), Konstancin - Jeziorna(PL).

• Traditional production of pumps, building materials and electronics

History
The town of Hranice formerly also Alba Ecclesia or Mahrische Kirchen was founded by the close of the 13th century on the place of the original ancestral settlement. Formerly a monasterial possession, Hranice and its estates had been gradually taken over by members of noble families. Among the most important noblemen were the Cimburks, the Pernsteins and from 1622 to the mid-19th century also Dietrichsteins. Back then, a double bulwark with guard towers and three gates protected the settlement. The original gothic castle of the Cimburk and later the Pernsteins was converted to the Late-Renaissance style and decorated with splendid arcades in the second half of the 16th century, during the reign of Jan Kropáč of Nevědomí and his succesors.From the beginning of the 17th century more and more Jews settled down in the town of Hranice (especially in Janaček´street).Today, the Jewish cemetery and the syngogue remind of their presence in the area. In the course of the 19th century the town grew into an important industrial and cultural centre. The railway line from Vienna to Krakow crossed Hranice as early as in 1843. The Austro-Hungarian military cademy, dating back to the later part of the century, became living quarters to many persons of high social rank as well as to some famous writers of the respective period, including Robert Musil or Rainer Maria Rilke.

The present day
Hranice has five secondary (high) schools - Gymnasium, secondary medical college, technical college and a private secondary school. Among the sites of interest fotr tourists in the locality is for example the Hranice Abyss, the deepest in the whole of the Czech Republic, even though it´s bottom has not yet been reached, the Zbrašov Aragonite Caves, the lowest point of the Europen watershed or the massive nearby Castle Helfštýn. Both residents and visitors to the town can amke use of rich cultural and sport opportunities. In Hranice for instance you might like to visit the cinema or a gallery, play a little tennis, golf (or mini golf), ride a horse, visit the swimming pool, go bowling, play squash, visit a fitness centre or even a dirt-bike course.

Geography
The greater part of the town lies on the right hand bank of the river Bečva. It nestles among the Oderské peaks (in the Jeseníky mountain range) and the lower Beskydy uplands (Malenik ridge of the Carpathian Mountains). It is located in the area in which transport and engineering corridors of the Přerov - Ostrava road and rail routes are pooled, with the important junction to Valašské Meziříčí, Vsetín and to Slovakia. Of social and touristic significance is the proximity of Hranice to the therapeutic spas of Teplice nad Bečvou, where heart and circulatory aliments are treated.

The most remarkable monuments
Hranice: St. John the Baptist Paris Church, Church of Virgin Mary´s Birth, Late - Renaissance castle, Austro - Hungarian military academy, viaducts, synagogue, Jewish cemetery.

Nearby landmarks: Castles Drahotuch, Helfštýn, Kunzov,Puchart, Starý Jičín and Svrčov(resort in Teplice nad Bečvou) windmills in Hustopeče, Partutovice, Poruba and Skalička, Viaducts by Veselíčko, railway tunel in Slavíč.