Imagine two towns refusing to give up their names. This is Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav. It is a unique administratively united pair of towns. They lie in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic.
Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav boasts a population around 20000. It ranks as the second-largest Czech united pair of towns. Only Frýdek-Místek is larger. Both Brandýs nad Labem and Stará Boleslav possess well-preserved historic centers. These are protected by law as urban monument zones.
Administratively, Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav consists of three parts. These are Brandýs nad Labem, Stará Boleslav and the village of Popovice.
Geographically, Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav is about 12 kilometres northeast of Prague. It sits on the flat landscape of the Central Elbe Table plateau. This places it in the heart of the agricultural region of Polabí. The Elbe River runs through Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav. Brandýs nad Labem is on the left bank and Stará Boleslav on the right bank.
The history of Brandýs nad Labem dates back to the 13th century. Originally, the town was named Boleslav. Boleslaus I built his castle here at the beginning of the 10th century.
Stará Boleslav holds historical significance. It is the oldest pilgrimage site in Bohemia. It was an early Přemyslid dynasty stronghold. Built in the late 9th and 10th centuries, it was surrounded by stone ramparts. The murder of Duke Wenceslaus by his brother Boleslaus occurred here. It took place at the gate of St Cosmas and Damian Church on September 28, 935 or 929. Wenceslaus was proclaimed a saint and became the patron saint of the Czech nation. He became a symbol of moral reinforcement during hard times.
After 1039, Duke Bretislaus I established a new Romanesque basilica. It was dedicated to St Wenceslaus at the site of the murder. It became a pilgrimage site. Bretislaus I also built the Collegiate Chapter of Saints Cosmas and Damian. It is the oldest in Bohemia. It was built next to the basilica in 1052. By the end of the 11th century, the Romanesque Chapel of Saint Clement was built. It is valuable for its Romanesque frescos. These frescos depict scenes from St Clement’s life and martyrdom.
Kings Charles IV and Wenceslaus often visited the town to hunt in the 14th century. They had new town fortifications built. During the Hussite Wars, the castle in Stará Boleslav was burned down.
Brandýs was founded in the early 14th century. It grew around a small castle from the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. A town with a fortress emerged gradually. At the end of the 15th century, a castle was built in Brandýs. A tower from the original fortress was incorporated into it. During the Thirty Years’ War, both Stará Boleslav and Brandýs were almost completely destroyed. In the second half of the 17th century, Stará Boleslav regained its fame through the cult of Madonna.
The two adjacent towns joined in 1960. They formed one town of Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav. Both towns refused to give up their names and accept a new one.
Since 2003, the St Wenceslaus National Pilgrimage has been renewed. It takes place in Stará Boleslav every year on September 28. It is the largest official celebration of St Wenceslaus Day. Pope Benedict XVI visited Stará Boleslav on this occasion in 2009.
The name of the municipality is the second longest in the country. It has 32 letters and spaces.
Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav is twinned with three cities. These are Dunaivtsi in Ukraine, Gödöllő in Hungary and Montescudaio in Italy.
The town is rich in monuments. The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is a national cultural monument. The Church of Saint Wenceslaus and the Church of Saint Clement are national cultural monuments too. The Brandýs nad Labem Castle is also a protected site.