Velké Bílovice

The name Bílovice was derived either from the personal name Biela/Bíla, who could be the founder of the settlement, or from the name of the first documented owner of the village, Sigfried Sirotek, by mistranslating his name (Czech word sirotek = 'orphan', in German waise; but German weisse means 'white' = bílý in Czech). The attribute Velké means 'great'.{{cite web |title=Dějiny Velkých Bílovic|url=https://www.velkebilovice.cz/dejiny-velkych-bilovic/d-1294?p1=2927|publisher=Město Velké Bílovice|language=cs|access-date=2024-06-29}}

File:Velke Bilovice celkove.JPG

Velké Bílovice is located about {{convert|9|km|0}} north of Břeclav and {{convert|45|km|abbr=on}} southeast of Brno. The southern half of the municipal territory with the town proper lies in the Lower Morava Valley. The northern half lies in the Kyjov Hills and includes the highest point of Velké Bílovice, the Zimarky hill (also called Hradištěk) at {{convert|264|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level.

The Prušánka Stream flows through the municipal territory. There are two fishponds: Velký Bílovec and Šísary.

The first written record of Velké Bílovice comes from 1306 but the area was settled much earlier. Houses of Liechtenstein and Zierotin were the most important owners in the history of Velké Bílovice. In the 16th century, group of Hutterites settled in the area, cultivated grapevine and built many large wine cellars.

At the beginning of the 20th century, many citizens of Velké Bílovice migrated to Argentina, Canada and the United States.

Velké Bílovice was promoted to a town in 2001. However, due to agriculture and wine growing, it still retains its village character.{{cite news |last=Šupálek|first=Michal|title=Patnáct let jsou Velké Bílovice a Lanžhot městy. Vesnický ráz zůstává|newspaper=Břeclavský deník|url=https://breclavsky.denik.cz/zpravy_region/patnact-let-jsou-velke-bilovice-a-lanzhot-mesty-lide-jsou-za-to-radi-ale-v-20160619.html|publisher=Deník.cz|language=cs|date=2016-06-20|access-date=2022-05-24}}

{{historical populations

|align=none|cols=3

|1869|1977

|1880|2285

|1890|2570

|1900|2764

|1910|2881

|1921|3140

|1930|3138

|1950|3206

|1961|3623

|1970|3669

|1980|3903

|1991|3811

|2001|3800

|2011|3852

|2021|3777

|source=Censuses{{cite web |title=Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011|url=https://csu.gov.cz/produkty/historicky-lexikon-obci-1869-az-2015|publisher=Czech Statistical Office|language=cs|date=2015-12-21}}{{cite web |title=Population Census 2021: Population by sex|url=https://vdb.czso.cz/vdbvo2/faces/en/index.jsf?page=vystup-objekt-parametry&z=T&f=TABULKA&sp=A&skupId=4429&katalog=33515&pvo=SLD21001-OB-OK|work=Public Database|publisher=Czech Statistical Office|date=2021-03-27}}}}

Velké Bílovice is known for viticulture and winemaking. It lies in the Velkopavlovická wine subregion. The town boasts more than 650 privately owned wine cellars{{cite web |title=Obecné údaje|url=https://www.velkebilovice.cz/obecne-udaje/d-1009?p1=2922|publisher=Město Velké Bílovice|language=cs|access-date=2020-09-29}} located in 40 named cellar streets{{cite web |title=Mapa vinných sklepů|url=https://www.velkobilovictivinari.cz/pro-media-uzitecne-info/sklepni-ulicky|publisher=Velkobílovičtí vinaři|language=cs|access-date=2020-09-29}} and more than {{convert|760|ha|acre}} of officially registered vineyards. This area makes it the largest grapevine-growing town in the country.{{cite web |title=Situační a výhledová zpráva: Réva vinná a víno|url=http://eagri.cz/public/web/file/644471/SVZ___Vino_2019.pdf|publisher=Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic|page=83|language=cs|date=2019|access-date=2020-09-29}}

The D2 motorway from Brno to Břeslav runs along the western municipal border.

File:Velke Bilovice kaple.JPG

Hody ("The Feasts") is the most important folk festival in Velké Bílovice. It begins on the first Sunday after the Day of the Virgin Mary's Birth (8 September), patron saint of the local church, and continues till Tuesday. On the Saturday before the Feasts festive maypole is manually erected. The main celebration takes place on Sunday, when many visitors even from far away come to admire the folk costume parade, which is annually attended by more than 50 costumed couples.{{cite web |title=Tradiční krojované hody|url=https://www.velkebilovice.cz/tradicni%2Dkrojovane%2Dhody/d-1693|publisher=Město Velké Bílovice|language=cs|access-date=2020-09-29}}

"From wine cellar to wine cellar" is a traditional cultural event, consisting of walking around wine cellars and tasting plenty of different varieties of wines from many different winemakers. It is regularly held on Saturday at the turn of March and April.{{cite web |title=Putování za vínem – ze sklepa do sklepa|url=https://www.velkebilovice.cz/putovani%2Dza%2Dvinem%2Dze%2Dsklepa%2Ddo%2Dsklepa/d-1692|publisher=Město Velké Bílovice|language=cs|access-date=2020-09-29}}

"Wine exhibition" is a traditional social event since 1965. In the town's Culture House, 600 to 900 wine samples of local winemakers and winemakers from the surrounding villages, especially from the Velkopavlovická wine-growing sub-region, are exhibited. It is held at the turn of April and May.{{cite web |title=Výstava vín|url=https://www.velkebilovice.cz/vystava%2Dvin/d-1691|publisher=Město Velké Bílovice|language=cs|access-date=2020-09-29}}

File:Kostel Narození panny Marie.JPG

Hutterite wine cellars are well known wine cellars. The biggest one was built around 1614. Its current owner is the company Habánské sklepy.{{cite web |title=Habánské sklepy|url=https://www.velkebilovice.cz/habanske-sklepy/d-1293?p1=2928|publisher=Město Velké Bílovice|language=cs|access-date=2020-09-29}}

Town Museum is a museum with local folk costumes, many archaeological finds from the area, old farm tools and other things associated with the history of the town.{{cite web |title=Vlastivědné muzeum|url=https://www.velkebilovice.cz/vlastivedne-muzeum/d-2773|publisher=Město Velké Bílovice|language=cs|access-date=2020-09-29}}

Hradištěk-Zímarky Hill is a distinctive landscape element with an excellent outlook. On the hilltop there is a chapel which is consecrated to four saints: St. Urban (patron saint of winemakers), St. Wenceslaus (patron saint of the Czech Lands) and Saints Cyril and Methodius (patrons saints of Christianity in the Czech Lands).

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was built in late Baroque style in 1764–1765.{{cite web |title=Farní kostel|url=https://www.velkebilovice.cz/farni-kostel/d-1291?p1=2930|publisher=Město Velké Bílovice|language=cs|access-date=2020-09-29}}

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic}}

Velké Bílovice is twinned with:{{cite web |title=Partnerská města|url=https://www.velkebilovice.cz/partnerska%2Dmesta/ds-1075/p1=2939|publisher=Město Velké Bílovice|language=cs|access-date=2020-09-29}}

• {{flagicon|ARG}} Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña, Argentina
• {{flagicon|SVK}} Šenkvice, Slovakia

Velké Bílovice - vlastivědné muzeum obr01.jpg|Town museum

Velke Bilovice kaple3.JPG|The road between the vineyards leading to the chapel

Velke Bilovice vinohrad3.JPG|Vineyard in the north of Velké Bílovice

{{reflist}}

{{commons category|Velké Bílovice}}

• {{official|https://www.velkebilovice.cz/}}
• [https://www.velkobilovictivinari.cz/ Winemakers Guild of Velké Bílovice] {{in lang|cs}}
• [https://www.velkebilovice.cz/vlastivedne-muzeum/d-2773 Town Museum of Velké Bílovice] {{in lang|cs}}

{{Břeclav District}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Velke Bilovice}}

Category:Cities and towns in the Czech Republic

Category:Populated places in Břeclav District