For anyone looking to leave the mean streets of Prague behind for a suburban idyll, a handy new tool will help you determine the best place for you.
Říčany currently ranks as the city with the best quality of life in the Czech Republic, according to Deloitte, which uses data from users to evaluate various aspects of life in Czech cities. The project is called “Obce v date”.
The town of Vrchlabí improved the most year-on-year, advancing 64 places to 73rd position.
The ranking ranks over 200 Czech municipalities according to a number of criteria (health, environment, work, education, services, safety, transport, leisure, housing, etc.).
According to Deloitte manager Filip Neterda, “our major goal is to actually help the cities to get their strategic priorities right, to better target the areas into which public investment is required […] We would be really happy if it could serve as a tool for public investment at the level of a city”.
Here are the top 10 best places to live in the Czech Republic, according to the index:
- Říčany – Central Bohemia
- Prague – Prague
- Brandýs nad Labem – Central Bohemia
- Černošice – Central Bohemia
- Brno – South Moravia
- Slavkov u Brna – South Moravia
- Beroun – Central Bohemia
- Židlochovice – South Moravia
- Hustopeče – South Moravia
- Třeboň – South Bohemia
Most, Litvínov and Žatec are among the five cities with the lowest quality of life. All three cities slightly worsened in the index compared to last year.
About Řičany
Řičany is situated about 20 km to the southeast of Prague in undulated and wooded countryside. The first mention of Říčany (according to Hájek’s Chronicle) is from 748 when the battle of the Říčany dominion took place.
The ruins of the old Říčany castle, dating back to the period of the last Přemyslid dynasty, are an architectural sight that one should not miss. Later the castle was occupied by the Hussites.
In the town square, we find the Church of St. Peter and Paul. The chapel is decorated by frescoes from around the year 1400. Not far from here we find the Marian Column built in 1699.
The town experienced social and cultural decline after the 30 Years War but, on the other hand, experienced positive growth when the railway between Prague and Vienna was built in 1869.
During this time many luxurious mansions were built and Říčany became an ideal and preferred place for relaxation. A good local environment, a good location and good bus and train services, support today’s dynamic growth and investment.
