Bozkov
Municipality
View from the church
View from the church
Flag of Bozkov
Flag
Coat of arms of Bozkov
Coat of arms
Bozkov is located in Czech Republic
Bozkov
Bozkov
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°38′24″N 15°20′14″E / 50.64000°N 15.33722°E / 50.64000; 15.33722
Country Czech Republic
RegionLiberec
DistrictSemily
First mentioned1356
Area
 • Total6.81 km2 (2.63 sq mi)
Elevation
488 m (1,601 ft)
Population
 (2023-01-01)[1]
 • Total607
 • Density89/km2 (230/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
512 13
Websitewww.obecbozkov.cz

Bozkov is a municipality and village in Semily District in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 600 inhabitants. It is known for the Bozkovské Dolomite Caves.

Geography

Entrance to the caves
Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary

Bozkov is located about 4 kilometres (2 mi) north of Semily and 22 km (14 mi) southeast of Liberec. It lies in a hilly landscape of the Giant Mountains Foothills. The highest point is the hill Na Končinách at 524 m (1,719 ft) above sea level.

History

The first written mention of Bozkov is from 1356. The most notable owners of Bozkov were the Smiřičký of Smiřice family (in the 16th century), Albrecht von Wallenstein (in 1622–1634), the Desfours family (in 1635–1748), and the Caretto-Millesimo family (in 1748–1824). In 1923, Bozkov was promoted to a market town, but lost the title after World War II.[2]

Sights

Bozkov is known for the Bozkovské Dolomite Caves. They were formed due to a strong corrosive activity of the underground water in the lentil of calcareous metamorphosed dolomites, in some parts strongly silificated. Since 1999, they have been protected as a national nature monument. Their lower parts are permanently flooded and form the largest underground lake in Bohemia. The known spaces are 1,060 metres (3,480 ft) long and they are the longest dolomite caves in the country. A 350 metres (1,150 ft) long route is open to the public and annually visited by about 70,000 visitors.[3]

The most valuable building in Bozkov is Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary. It was built in 1697 and contains a rare Gothic sculpture of the Madonna, locally called "Queen of the Mountains". The church tower is 49 metres (161 ft) high and is open to the public as a lookout tower.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2023". Czech Statistical Office. 2023-05-23.
  2. ↑ "Stručná historie obce" (in Czech). Obec Bozkov. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  3. ↑ "Bozkovské Dolomite Caves: Characteristics". Cave Administration of the Czech Republic. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  4. ↑ "Kostel Navštívení Panny Marie Bozkov" (in Czech). CzechTourism. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
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