Louny District () is a district in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Louny, but the most populous town is Žatec.
Administrative division Louny District is divided into three administrative districts of municipalities with extended competence: Louny, Podbořany and Žatec.
List of municipalities Towns are marked in bold and market towns in italics:
Bitozeves - Blatno - Blažim - Blšany - Blšany u Loun - Brodec - Břvany - Cítoliby - Čeradice - Černčice - Chlumčany - Chožov - Chraberce - Deštnice - Dobroměřice - Domoušice - Holedeč - Hříškov - Hřivice - Jimlín - Koštice - Kozly - Krásný Dvůr - Kryry - Lenešice - Libčeves - Liběšice - Libočany - Libořice - Lipno - Lišany - Líšťany - Louny - Lubenec - Měcholupy - Nepomyšl - Nová Ves - Nové Sedlo - Obora - Očihov - Opočno - Panenský Týnec - Peruc - Petrohrad - Pnětluky - Počedělice - Podbořanský Rohozec - Podbořany - Postoloprty - Raná - Ročov - Slavětín - Smolnice - Staňkovice - Toužetín - Tuchořice - Úherce - Velemyšleves - Veltěže - Vinařice - Vrbno nad Lesy - Vroutek - Vršovice - Výškov - Zálužice - Žatec - Zbrašín - Želkovice - Žerotín - Žiželice
Geography
Most of the territory is flat and has an agricultural character, only the south and northeast are hilly. The territory is located in the rain shadow of the Ore Mountains and therefore belongs to the driest regions of the country. The territory extends into five geomorphological mesoregions: Most Basin (north and centre), Rakovník Uplands (southwest), Džbán (south), Lower Ohře Table (east) and Central Bohemian Uplands (northeast). The highest point of the district is a contour line on the slopes of the hill Ostrý in Libčeves with an elevation of ; the highest peak is Velký les in Blatno with an elevation of . The lowest point is the river bed of the Ohře in Koštice at .
From the total district area of , agricultural land occupies , forests occupy , and water area occupies . Forests cover 16.1% of the district's area.
The most important river is the Ohře, which drains almost the entire territory. Its most important tributaries are the Blšanka and Chomutovka. The largest body of water is fishpond Lenešický rybník. However, there are only a few bodies of water.
České středohoří is a protected landscape area that extends into the district.
Demographics
Most populous municipalities Name Population Area (km2) Žatec 18,984 43 Louny 18,061 24 Podbořany 6,254 60 Postoloprty 4,661 46 Peruc 2,374 53 Kryry 2,355 39 Vroutek 1,860 53 Lenešice 1,406 14 Dobroměřice 1,395 5 Lubenec 1,318 37
Economy The largest employers with headquarters in Louny District and at least 500 employees are:
Economic entity Location Number of employees Main activity Nexen Tire Europe Bitozeves 1,000–1,499 Manufacture of tires Koito Czech Žatec 1,000–1,499 Manufacture of headlights Yanfeng International Automotive Technology Czechia Bitozeves 500–999 Automotive industry Aisan Industry Czech Louny 500–999 Automotive industry Gestamp Louny Velemyšleves 500–999 Automotive industry
Žatec and its surroundings is known for its tradition of growing Saaz hops. It is a protected designation of origin.
Transport The D7 motorway from Prague to Chomutov, including the unfinished section, leads across the district. The D6 motorway from Prague to Karlovy Vary passes through the southern part of the district.
Sights
Žatec and the landscape of Saaz hops was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023 because it is an example of a monoculture agricultural landscape and long cultural tradition of growing and processing a renowned hops variety.
The most important monuments in the district, protected as national cultural monuments, are: Church of Saint Nicholas in Louny Krásný Dvůr Castle
The best-preserved settlements and landscapes, protected as monument reservations and monument zones, are: Žatec (includes both a monument reservation and a monument zone) Louny Soběchleby Stekník Žatec hops landscape
The most visited tourist destination is the Stekník Castle.
Notable people
References
External links
Louny District – profile on the Czech Statistical Office website