Blšany () is a town in Louny District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,000 inhabitants.
Administrative division Blšany consists of six municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):
Blšany (407) Liběšovice (149) Malá Černoc (119) Siřem (68) Soběchleby (151) Stachov (35)
Etymology The name was derived either from the word blcha (in modern Czech blecha), i.e. 'flea', or from the surname Blcha (or Blecha), meaning "the village of Blcha's people".
Geography Blšany is located about southwest of Louny, southwest of Ústí nad Labem, and west of Prague. The northern part of the municipal territory lies in the Most Basin. The southern part lies in the Rakovník Uplands and includes the highest point of Blšany, the hill Hůrka at above sea level. The Blšanka River flows through the town.
History The first written mention of Blšany is from 1238, when the village was a property of the Waldsassen Abbey. Between 1238 and 1252, a small town was founded on the site of the village.
From 1938 to 1945, Blšany was annexed by Nazi Germany and administered as part of the Reichsgau Sudetenland.
Demographics
Economy Blšany is located in an area known for growing hops.
Transport The I/27 road, which connects Plzeň with Most, runs through the town.
Sport Blšany was known nationwide for its football club FK Chmel Blšany, which played in the Czech First League between 1998 and 2006. However, the club was disbanded in 2016. Blšany is the smallest town where the Czech First League was played.
Sights The main landmark of Blšany is the Church of Saint Michael. It was built in the Baroque style in 1716–1717 and rebuilt in 1825.
Notable people Franz Kafka spent several months in convalescence in the village of Siřem after tuberculosis was diagnosed.
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