Most

Czech Republic / Ustecky / Most /

A visit to the ancient and historical town of Most will leave you with the unshakeable conviction that the Communists responsible for the near-complete demolition of the ancient and historical town really ought to have been shot long ago. In the 1960s the whole old town, with the exception of its Gothic church, was demolished to make way for lignite mining. The town was rebuilt with modern methods and materials, utterly lacking in charm and sturdiness. The church was moved approx. 850 metres to the new town on rails, a process that took about 1 month.

By far the worst area around Most comes under the name Rudolice nad Bílinou, more commonly called Chánov, a collection of 13 panelaks (simply concrete construction kit houses) separated from the rest of the town by a major road and railway tracks. The inhabitants are the Roma, the structures built for them exclusively. Today these panelaks, still inhabited, are easily among the worst places to live in the Czech Republic. They lack gas and electricity, and usually windows too. Chánov has become a symbol of Roma ghettoisation in the country.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   50°30'26"N   13°38'47"E

Comments

  • thanks to the town of Most for allowing a great event to take place in summer 2009 - the 2CV world salutes you!
This article was last modified 14 years ago