Veselá, Czech Republic

Vesela is a small Czech village (589 persons) situated very close to Czech Paradise (https://www.cesky-raj.info/en/), under administration of town called: Mnichovo Hradiste. It is located 60 km from Prague, and 40 km from Liberec. It is relatively close to polish border: 70 km.
 

short history
First written info about the village is from 1345.
Many families in the village live here since generations, what means that they remember the Austro – Hungarian times, communism, change into democracy in 1989, the divorce of Czech Republic and Slovakia, moment of joining European Union..
 

main industry
Vesela is situated 10 km from Mlada Boleslav, where the main Skoda factories are located, due to that only on the area of our village 2 factories are located, which produce different components used in car industry. Most of inhabitants works in car industry, many on 3 shifts. Region has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country (around 4%).
 

main challenges
- Many trucks going through the village each day (mainly due to the factories around), problem: noise + their speed
- The village is by administration a part of a town next by and this brings a long term low interest and support of our area.
- Lack of space for common meeting
 

About organisation
Vesela Vesnice o.s. is was established by group of inhabitants of Vesela and officially registered on 2.01.2012. The main reasons for establishing it were to support and stimulate initiatives of inhabitants, to create space in which people from the village can work together and bring alive forgotten traditions (festival, carnival).
Main activities we organised so far:
- Festival of humour (festival of the village organised after 31 years of break)
- Happy cake (cooking competition)
- Happy Vesela, happy Dobkow – project connecting our festival and festival organised in Dobkow
- Eastern traditions meeting
- International youth meeting
- 2 theatres
Members of association:
Teachers, trainers, people interested in history, carpenters, mothers,
 

Local heritage
We have:
- 3 statues
- 1 chapel
- Some beautiful houses
- Czech Paradise nearby
- Many interesting stories
 

We are planning to..
- Continue to organise small lectures / presentations about history of the village done by our local historician, who collected many old photos, documents etc..
- Organise exhibition about history of the village in our chapel
- Create an educational path with stands where people discover a lot of interesting info about Vesela
 

Public protest
We keep on trying to lower the nr and speed of trucks going through the village.
We as well try to show to the council and mayor of the town under which belong, that our problems and challenges are as important as those of people living in this town.
 

Traditions
February – traditional carnival – will be organise for the first time after many years in Feb 2013
April, 30th – the witches day
May, 1st – the love day ;)
June - Festival of humour – was organised in almost the same time as was traditionally the festival of the village (end of June, saint Paul & Petr), and we are planning to organise it again next year.
 

Local products
5 km from Vesela there is a local brewery – Klaster.
7 km away are local ceramics atelier – Zviretice.
 

Main actors
Council of the village – which has only the advising role in the council of the town, and does not have any decision making power
Kindergarten and primary school (up to the 4th grade)
Sports club
Voluntary fireman’s brigade
Vesela Vesnice o.s.