Humpolec, Vysočina Region, Czech Republic

🇨🇿 Humpolec (Humpoletz) is a town in Pelhřimov District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic.

Administrative parts Villages of Brunka, Hněvkovice, Kletečná, Krasoňov, Lhotka, Petrovice, Plačkov, Rozkoš, Světlice, Světlický Dvůr and Vilémov are administrative parts of Humpolec.

Geography Humpolec is located about 22 km (14 mi) north-west of Jihlava, roughly halfway between Prague and Brno. It lies in the Křemešník Highlands. The highest point is the hill Krásná vyhlídka with an altitude of 663 metres (2,175 ft). There is a significant amount of small ponds, some of them are in the urban area.

History The first written mention of Humpolec is from 1178. In the 13th–15th centuries it was a silver mining town. Humpolec became known for drapery production from the 17th century, which reached its peak in the 19th century.

Economy Humpolec is traditionally an industrial town. The largest employer is Valeo Compressor Europe, a manufacturer of compressors for cars. Since 1597, the Bernard Brewery is established in the town.

Transport The D1 motorway from Prague to Brno passes through Humpolec.

The railway of local importance heading to Havlíčkův Brod begins here.

Sights The Church of Saint Nicholas was originally an early Gothic church, rebuilt in 1721–1722 in the Gothic-Baroque style by Jan Santini Aichel. Its current Neo-Gothic form is a result of the reconstruction in 1895.

The Evangelical church was built in the Historicist style in 1862, and the tower was added in 1890–1891. Together with the rectory from 1854 and the evangelical school, it forms an area protected as a cultural monument.