Písek

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Coordinates: 49°18′N 14°8′E / 49.3, 14.133

Písek

Town

Flag	Coat of arms

Country

Commune

Písek

Elevation

378 m (1,240 ft)

Coordinates

49°18′N 14°8′E / 49.3, 14.133

Area

63.22 km² (24.41 sq mi)

Population

29,801 (2005)

Density

471 /km² (1,220 /sq mi)

Founded

12th century

Mayor

Miroslav Sládek

Timezone

CET (UTC+1)

- summer (DST)

CEST (UTC+2)

Postal code

397 01

Location in the Czech Republic

Wikimedia Commons: Písek

Statistics: statnisprava.cz

Website: www.icpisek.cz/apps/cz/index.xsp

Old houses in city center

Písek (IPA: [ˈpiːsɛk]) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has a population of 29,081 (est. January 1, 2005).

1 About
2 History
3 Famous residents
4 Twin towns
5 Main sights
6 External links

[edit] About

Písek is usually called "The Athens of the South" (despite Athens being more southerly) because it has got many high schools and schools of higher education, e.g. the Film School in Písek. Up to the last decades of 19th century Písek was a centre of large autonomous Prácheň Region (also Prácheňský kraj) (today's Prachatice, Písek, Strakonice and part of Příbram, Klatovy, České Budějovice and Jižní Plzeňsko Counties).

This town has its own freeway to Prague and it lies on Zdice–Protivín and Tábor–Ražice rail lines. It is superbly connected to central and western Bohemia or the same way as to the southward situated Šumava (historically called Böhmerwald or Gabreta in Germanic and Celtic languages)

The climate here is mild (one of the 3 warmest part of Czech Republic) because it is protected from all sides against cold winds. Low precipitations (about 500-550 mm/annum) and with temperatures 0 to 20 °C temperature in Blue Time season (March-April), about 15 to 35 °C in summer season (May-September), 10 to 25 °C fall season (October-December) and -5 to +10 °C in winter season with rare snow (January-February). Predominantly sunny all the year. Extreme cold weather has reached -19,6°C and extreme hot +37,9°C (last decades observation). Písek is surrounded by Písek Mountains (or Gem Mountains) which its highest peak is 633 metres high (260 metres above city center). The river which flows across the city has the old Celtic name, Otava.

[edit] History

This South Bohemian town was, up to its serious damage in 1620, one of the biggest towns in Bohemia. It is considered to be of prehistorical origin (about 900 BC, when it was officially built in the 13th century - but in these times one part of this town had been still inhabited by descendants of Celts (today's Saint Wenceslas). The oldest town in the area of modern Písek ("Písek" in fact means "sand") was Hradiště (Oppidum on top of Hradiště hill). Close to this place two graves of Celtic kings can be found. Písek has still his unique atmosphere and has a well-preserved, picturesque medieval centre. A large part of Písek was built in 19th century, so one can still find there many buildings built in classical or neo-styles. In Písek is the oldest bridge (Písek Stone Bridge) in the Czech Republic (and the second oldest in the whole central European region).