Chleby (Nymburk District)

50°13′22″N 15°5′22″E / 50.22278°N 15.08944°E / 50.22278; 15.08944Country Czech RepublicRegionCentral BohemianDistrictNymburkFirst mentioned1292Area • Total9.59 km² (3.70 sq mi)Elevation193 m (633 ft)Population • Total450 • Density47/km² (120/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal codeWebsitewww.chleby.cz

Chleby is a municipality and village in Nymburk District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 500 inhabitants.

The village of Draho is an administrative part of Chleby.

The word chleby means 'breads' in modern Czech, but this is just a coincidence. The name of the village is derived from the personal name Chleb, meaning "Chlebs (Chleb's family)".^[2]

Chleby is located about 5 kilometres (3 mi) northeast of Nymburk and 41 km (25 mi) east of Prague. It lies in a flat agricultural landscape in the Central Elbe Table.

The first written mention of Chleby is from 1292, when the monastery in Mnichovo Hradiště sold the village to the Sedlec Abbey.^[3]

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 677 —     1880 664 −1.9% 1890 716 +7.8% 1900 760 +6.1% 1910 679 −10.7%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 707 +4.1% 1930 708 +0.1% 1950 499 −29.5% 1961 503 +0.8% 1970 462 −8.2%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 399 −13.6% 1991 326 −18.3% 2001 339 +4.0% 2011 418 +23.3% 2021 449 +7.4%
Source: Censuses[4][5]

The northern part of the territory of Chleby is briefly crossed by the Jičín–Nymburk railway line, but there is no train station. The municipality is served by the station in neighbouring Oskořínek.

The main landmark of Chleby is the Church of Saint Lawrence. It was built in the late Baroque style in 1780–1782 and the tower was added in the mid-19th century.^[6]

The Evangelical church was built in the Neo-Romanesque style in 1885–1888, after the old one was demolished.^[7]

Chleby is known for the Chleby Zoo, one of the smallest zoos in the country.