In this part of the series, our colleagues Iveta Michalíková from Radio Slovakia International's Slovak section and Marcela Jedináková from Rádio Regina present mutual inspiration and cooperation between the Czech town of Milovice, near Prague, and the Slovak town of Senec, near Bratislava.
Senec, a town of over 20,000 residents, is located in south-western Slovakia, approximately 25 km from the Slovak capital. Similar to many other municipalities around present-day Bratislava, it was largely influenced by the majority German ethnic group in the Middle Ages. In the 16th to 18th centuries, representatives of the Bratislava County used to hold their meetings there. In the 19th and 20th centuries, it was already the seat of a district, and it remains so today.
The city is developing and seeking inspiration abroad. This is evidenced by intensive cooperation with partner cities, including Milovice.
The town of Milovice is located in the lowlands of the Central Elbe region, in the Nymburk district of Central Bohemia. The first mention of it is from 1396. An inseparable part of the history of Milovice is the establishment of the Mladá military district in 1904, in which Austro-Hungarian, Czechoslovak, German and Soviet armies operated.
On June 30, 1991, the last Soviet soldier left Milovice, while the military training area was closed in 1995. A year later, in August, the revitalization of the former military training area began. The first 496 apartments were renovated and so the influx of young residents began. Milovice has grown rapidly from a village of cca 3 thousand inhabitants at the beginning of the 1990s to a town of around 14 thousand today.
The town of Senec has experienced rapid demographic and construction growth since the 1970s. It is mainly known as a summer tourist centre thanks to its lakes, which were formed through gravel mining during the construction of the railway in the second half of the 19th century. The Slnečné jazerá (Sun Lakes) recreational area also serves as the main venue for the town’s largest cultural events, including the Senec Summer Festival and the Great Summer Carnival, which regularly welcome representatives from twin towns.
Listen to the audio to find out how the town of Milovice has shown that even a large school building from the socialist era can be adapted to offer better services.
Window to the World 5: Senec-Milovice
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