The town of Šternberk in Central Moravia is located in the foothills of the Nízký Jeseník Mountains. It is the town where we got married in the gardens of the Šternberk Castle. Stop by and enjoy a tour of the town with an exceptional historical centre and unique well-preserved architecture. You will encounter not only a wide palette of monuments but also a town offering many modern services. A town where everything is close at hand.
The town of Šternberk has been connected for over one-hundred years with the hill climb automobile race on the Ecce Homo track. The advantageous position the town enjoys in the region of Central Moravia, not far from the Nana metropolis of Olomouc, offers ideal conditions for hikes into neighbouring locations, bicycle tours, and for longer journeys. Olomouc, Náměšť na Hané, Úsov, and the nearby Jeseníky Mountains are frequent popular destinations for visitors to Central Moravia. So don’t lose any time; come and visit a town offering quality services, a warm welcome, a hospitable atmosphere, numerous possibilities for sightseeing, and active relaxation.
History of Šternberk
The current appearance of Šternberk is the result of development over hundreds of years during which the original town centre gradually expanded into an organic whole.
The history of the town reaches back 710 years. The oldest mention of Šternberk as a town dates to the year 1296. The builders of the town most likely began their work in the older settlement below the Gothic castle founded by the Lords of Šternberk sometime in the years 1253 – 1269. The town bloomed in the 2nd half of the 14th century during the time of Albert of Šternberk, the Archbishop of Magdeburg, when Šternberk acquired the privilege of a feudal town. Šternberk gained judicial and administrative autonomy from its rulers in 1409. The town’s advantageous position meant both prosperity and danger for Šternberk. The town served as a support base for various armies, in both the Hussite wars in the 15th century and during the Thirty Years War in the 17th century. The most destructive fire in the history of Šternberk occurred in 1627, when the Danish occupied town was seized by Imperial forces. The hardships of war and plague led to a gradual reduction of the town’s residents of Czech nationality. In the 16th and 17th century Šternberk was populated by German and Silesian settlers, who in turn left a German mark on the town. There were large troop movements through the town during the Napoleonic wars and in 1805 Šternberk was the site of a meeting between Russian Czar Alexander and Austrian Emperor Francis I. The first half of the 19th century was marked by the development of the textile industry in the town. Town prosperity was connected to the production of cotton fabric.
An attempt to establish an independent Sudetenland province, quelled by Czechoslovak forces in 1918, was followed by an uprising of German residents in 1919. The loss of life among both the demonstrators and the army had an ominous effect on the national climate in 8ternberk. The national composition of the Šternberk population changed following the defeat of the Nazis in 1945 and the subsequent expulsion of German residents.
After 1945 light industry began to be developed in the town, the most significant of which involved the production of clocks, time measurement instruments, and military technology. Thanks to the production of clocks and alarm clocks the town of ternberk became known as the town of clocks. A new chapter in the history of ternberk began in the early 1990′s as a large private sector began to develop, attracting new investors.