Benátky nad Jizerou
Benátky nad Jizerou (; ) is a town in Mladá Boleslav District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,400 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Administrative parts. The town is made up of town parts of Benátky nad Jizerou I–III and villages of Dražice and Kbel. Geography. Benátky nad Jizerou is located between Stará Boleslav and Mladá Boleslav. It lies on the Jizera River in the Jizera Board lowland. The highest point of the municipal territory is the hill Benátecký  vrch with an elevation of . History. The first written mention of the village of Obodř (today part of Benátky nad Jizerou III) is from 1052. In 1264, the Dražice Castle was founded. In 1346 Lord Jan of Dražice obtained permission to establish a town on a nearby hill. The town was named Nové Benátky (lit. "New Venice"). In 1349 the monastery and the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary were built. Economy. The town part of Dražice is known for the manufacturer of water heaters DZ Dražice. It is the biggest company of its focus in the country , known throughout Europe. The company was founded in 1900, originally as grain warehouse, craft roller mill and bakery, later also a hydroelectric power plant. The water heaters are produced since 1956. Sights. The town is the site of a castle and observatory built by astronomer Tycho Brahe. Johann von Klenau, the Habsburg general, was born at the castle in 1758. His old Bohemian family owned the castle at the time. Later it was owned by the counts Thun und Hohenstein. Notable people. The Benda brothers were born here. They were to later find fame as composers and performers in Germany  where many of their descendants also became successful musicians. Twin towns – sister cities. Benátky nad Jizerou is twinned with: