Zásmuky

Zásmuky is a town in Kolín District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,100 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The villages of Doubravčany, Nesměň, Sobočice and Vršice are administrative parts of Zásmuky.

Etymology
The origin and meaning of the name is unknown. It could be a pre-Slavic name, distorted into a Slavic form.

Geography
Zásmuky is located about 14 km southwest of Kolín and 37 km east of Prague. It lies mostly in the Upper Sázava Hills, only a small part of the municipal territory in the north extends into the Central Elbe Table. The highest point is at 406 m above sea level. The Výrovka River flows through the territory.

History
The first written mention of Zásmuky is from 1285. In 1542, during the rule of Adam of Říčany, the village was promoted to a town. From 1637 to 1948, Zásmuky was continuously owned by the Sternberg family.

Transport
The I/2 road (the section from Prague to Kutná Hora) passes through the town.

Sights
The main landmark is the Zásmuky Castle. It was built in the first half of the 16th century. It is a Baroque building with late Renaissance elements and pseudo-Gothic façade. Today the castle is owned by descendants of the Sternberg family and it houses an exhibition about the town of Zásmuky. There is a castle park next to the castle, which is freely accessible.

The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was built in the neo-Romanesque style in 1900–1903. It was built on the site of an older church, from which a late Baroque chapel from the 18th century survived.

The Baroque complex of the former Franciscan monastery with the Church of the Stigmatization of St. Francis of Assisi was built in 1691–1694. Today it serves cultural and social purposes.

Notable people

 * František Kmoch (1848–1912), composer and conductor