Uherský Ostroh

Sister cities

• Trenčianske Teplice

History

A predecessor of the town was a settlement called Stenice, located on an island of the river Morava. The settlement existed here in the second half of the 11th century. In the mid-13th century, a defense system was built against invasions from Hungary. It included a water fortress near a ford across the Morava, founded here by Ottokar II of Bohemia. The first written mention of the Ostroh Castle is from 1275. During the Hussite Wars, Uherský Ostroh was a military camp of the Hussites. In 1511, Uherský Ostroh was acquired by the lords of Kunovice. During their rule, the water fortress was rebuilt into a Renaissance residence. After the Battle of White Mountain in 1620, the properties of lords of Kunovice were confiscated from them, and Uherský Ostroh was acquired by the Liechtenstein family, who owned it for almost 300 years. The Liechtenstein family did not reside here and the estate economically stagnated. Uherský Ostroh suffered from frequent floods and raids by Turks and Hungarians, however it remained a small agricultural and craft town.

Geography

Uherský Ostroh is located about southwest of Uherské Hradiště and southwest of Zlín. The western part of the municipal territory lies in the Lower Morava Valley and the eastern part lies in the Vizovice Highlands. The town is situated on the Morava River, at its confluence with the Okluky Stream.