Havlovice, Bohemia, Czech Republic

The municipality Havlovice with approx. 900 inhabitants, lies in the foreland of the Bohemian mountains between the towns of Trutnov and Náchod. It extends along both banks of the river Úpa and forms the entryway to a wonderful nature reserve that reaches all the way to the palace Ratibořice ten kilometres away.

The history of the village is closely connected to the history of the castle Vizmburk that was built in the second half of the 13th century and destroyed by Silesia in 1477. Despite this the development of the village made progress. Havlovice was first mentioned in writing in 1545 with reference to the sale of the sovereignty of Náchod, to which Havlovice belonged until 1849.

Havlovice was originally a farming village. The largest part of the area of approx. 880 hectares farmed by an agricultural society. Alongside there are four private farms. The change towards a housing village is taking place at the moment   The improved quality of life through targeted investments in the infrastructure has lead to an increase in the population of about five percent in the last ten years and an increase in private building. This is all the more remarkable as in the neighbouring municipalities the population is decreasing.

The possibilities for making a living in the village are low. 280 people who leave to work compared to approx. 30 who come in to work. Most of the inhabitants are daily commuters to the surrounding municipalities and towns. The unemployment rate is approx. four percent.

The flooding of the river Úpa in 1997 and 2000 lead to great damage which made the need for flood protection measures clear. Along with the renovation of the weir and the construction of a dam, a new bridge was built. This work was successfully completed in 2005.

Predetermined by the existing nature reserve and on the other hand the river Úpa the focus in the area of tourism lies in hiking, bike and water tourism. In the past there was increased investment in the tourist infrastructure and the development of the hiking and bike trails was promoted. Indirectly connected with tourism is the renovation and construction of a large sports area that offers a football field, tennis courts, a beach volley ball court, a hard court and a large children’s playground. In winter skating and ice hockey can take place in floodlight. The sports centre is not only used by the people of the village but also by many tourists and the inhabitants of the region.

By installing a warm water pump in the cultural building it can now be used in winter for cultural events like theatre performances and balls. It also serves as a sports hall with adjacent sauna and has become indispensable for the regional club and social life.

With the exemplary sports area and the cultural building that provides room for the abundant club life and many social activities Havlovice has succeeded in improving the activities of the municipality and the quality of life of the population.

Evaluated: 2008