The name Meziříčí literally means "between the rivers" and is related to its location on the confluence of rivers. The attribute Valašské (i.e. "Wallachian") refers to its location in the region of Moravian Wallachia.
Geography
[edit]Confluence of Vsetínská Bečva and Rožnovská Bečva
Valašské Meziříčí is located about 15 kilometres (9 mi) north of Vsetín and 34 km (21 mi) northeast of Zlín. The Vsetínská Bečva and Rožnovská Bečva rivers join in the town to form the Bečva River.
The municipal territory of Valašské Meziříčí lies in three geomorphological regions. The western and northern parts lie in the Moravian-Silesian Foothills, the eastern part lies in the Rožnov Furrow, and the southern part lies in the Hostýn-Vsetín Mountains. The highest point is the top of the hill Brdo at 543 m (1,781 ft) above sea level.
The first written mention of Valašské Meziříčí is from 1297. The village on the left bank of the Rožnovská Bečva was first referred to as a town in 1377. Krásno nad Bečvou was founded on the right bank of the Rožnovská Bečva and in 1491 it was promoted to a market town. Krásno nad Bečvou was a separate entity until 1924, when it was merged with Valašské Meziříčí, however, their history is similar and they had common owners.[2][3]
The most significant owner of the two estates was the Zierotin family, who had built a Renaissance castle here. In the 19th century, Valašské Meziříčí became the centre of education and Krásno nad Bečvou was industrialized.[2]
Valašské Meziříčí has a tradition of chemical, automotive and food industry. The town is known for one of the largest chemical plants in Europe, DEZA a.s., a part of the Agrofert conglomerate.[6] The plant was founded in 1960 and is focused on processing of tar and benzene.[7]
The town lies at the crossroads of two main roads: the I/35 (the section from Hranice to the Czech-Slovak border in Bílá) and the I/57 (the section from Nový Jičín to the Czech-Slovak border in Brumov-Bylnice).
Valašské Meziříčí has a small historic centre formed by the town square and its surroundings, including the Žerotín Castle. The town square is lined by preserved burger houses.[2] One of the most valuable monuments of the historic centre is the parish Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The originally Gothic church was first mentioned in 1419, after it replaced an old church from the 13th century. The Renaissance tower with a portal was added in 1581 and the Baroque Chapel of the Virgin Mary was added in 1681–1682. In the mid-18th century, the church was baroque rebuilt.[9]
The Žerotín Castle is one of the main landmarks of the town. Construction of the castle was started by Jan IV of Pernštejn in the first half of the 16th century. The originally Renaissance castle was baroque rebuilt by the Zierotins. After it was used as a women's prison and military infirmary in the 20th century, it was reconstructed and today serves as a cultural centre of the town.[10]
The Kinský Castle was originally a Baroque building which housed the Krásno manor administration. In the mid-19th century it was rebuilt by the Kinsky family to an Empire castle. Since 1949, the castle has been used as a museum, today the Wallachian Regional Museum. Adjacent to the castle is a large English park with valuable tree species, founded at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.[11]
Czech Republic
Balchik, Bulgaria
Budva, Montenegro
Čačak, Serbia
Čadca, Slovakia
Gooise Meren, Netherlands
Konin, Poland
