Rokycany

Sister cities

• Greiz

History

The area was inhabited since the Stone Age. Celtic and early Slavic settlements were discovered. The first written mention of Rokycany is in Chronica Boemorum from 1110. At that time, the village was owned by the Bishop of Prague, and major Bohemian and German noblemen met here for diplomatic talks with Emperor Henry V. At the end of the 13th century, bishop Tobiáš of Bechyně made from the settlement a market town and the episcopal court was replaced by an episcopal castle. In the 14th century, the town fortification was made, of which little has survived to this day. In 1406, Rokycany obtained town privileges. The town was a property of the church until the Hussite Wars. In 1421, the town was conquered by Jan Žižka's army, but later that year it was conquered, burned and looted by Plzeň's Catholics.

Geography

Rokycany is located about east of Plzeň. It lies in the Švihov Highlands. The highest point is the Čilina hill at above sea level. Rokycany is situated at the confluence of the Klabava River and the stream Holoubkovský potok. There is another stream (Rakovský potok) which flows through the western part of the town. The largest body of water is Klabava Reservoir with an area of . Today it serves as flood protection and as a recreational area. The second notable body of water is the fishpond Borecký rybník.

Most-observed species

• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,194
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,793
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,412
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,401
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,314
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,225
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,207
• Eurasian Collared-Dove

  Streptopelia decaocto (Frivaldszky, 1838) · Aves
  1,001

Most recent

• M 3.8 — 2014-05-31
  4 km NE of Skalná, Czechia
• M 4 — 2011-09-04
  5 km WSW of Habartov, Czechia
• M 2.9 — 2008-11-23
  4 km SW of Oloví, Czechia
• M 2.7 — 2008-10-30
  4 km SE of Luby, Czechia
• M 3.3 — 2008-10-28
  4 km ESE of Luby, Czechia
• M 2.8 — 2008-10-28
  6 km WNW of Habartov, Czechia