Vlachovo Březí

Vlachovo Březí (Wällisch Birken, Wällischbirken) is a town in Prachatice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,700 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.

Administrative parts
The villages of Chocholatá Lhota, Dachov, Dolní Kožlí, Doubrava, Horní Kožlí, Mojkov and Uhřice are administrative parts of Vlachovo Březí.

Etymology
The name Březí is derived from bříza (i.e. 'birch') and referred to the forest that was around the settlement. The adjective Vlachovo (meaning Vlach's) refers to the knight Vladislav Vlach Malovec, who owned the settlement.

Geography
Vlachovo Březí is located about 7 km north of Prachatice and 38 km northwest of České Budějovice. It lies in the Bohemian Forest Foothills. The highest point is the hill Běleč at 923 m above sea level.

History
The first written mention of Vlachovo Březí is from 1274, then called just Březí. In the first half of the 15th century, Březí was owned by the Malovec family and was renamed Vlachovo Březí after Vladislav Vlach Malovec. In 1538, the settlement was promoted to a market town by Emperor Ferdinand I and received its coat of arms. From the second half of the 17th century, the cloth making flourished, and local products were also exported abroad. Prosperity started population growth. In 1868, Vlachovo Březí was promoted to a town by Emperor Franz Joseph I.

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

Sights
Vlachovo Březí Castle was a fortress, rebuilt into a Renaissance castle in 1561. In 1698, it was rebuilt into its current early Baroque form. Today it is unused and the premises are offered for rent.

The first mention of a brewery in Vlachovo Březí is from 1623. The Manor Brewery in its current form was founded around 1670 and its capacity caused the gradual demise of breweries in the surrounding villages. The Baroque brewery building with distinctive gables was built in the 18th century and forms the western wing of the castle complex. The beer brewing continued until 1924. In 2014–2015, the valuable building was repaired and now it is owned by the town. The beer brewing was renewed in 2017.

The original Church of the Annunciation was first mentioned in 1359, when it was built in the Romanesque style. In 1659–1669, the church was rebuilt in the Baroque style, in which form it still stands today.

Notable people

 * Joseph Drechsler (1782–1852), Austrian organist and composer
 * Jakub Bursa (1813–1884), architect; died here
 * Karel Traxler (1866–1936), chess master
 * Jan Matulka (1890–1972), Czech-American modern artist

Twin towns – sister cities
Vlachovo Březí is twinned with:
 * 🇩🇪 Sankt Oswald-Riedlhütte, Germany