Luhačovice (; ) is a spa town in Zlín District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,000 inhabitants. It is known for the largest spa in Moravia. The town centre with the spa infrastructure is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Administrative parts Villages of Kladná Žilín, Polichno and Řetechov are administrative parts of Luhačovice. Polichno and Řetechov form two exclaves of the municipal territory. Etymology The name was probably derived from an old personal name Luhač. The name could also be derived from luhy, which means meadows on wetter soil. Geography Luhačovice is located about south of Zlín. The town occupies the valley of the Luhačovický stream with an elevation of about 250 m above sea level, surrounded by a hilly landscape. The entire municipal territory lies in the Vizovice Highlands, however, the eastern part of the territory extends into the White Carpathians Protected Landscape Region. The highest point of the territory is the hill Brda with an elevation of , located in the area of Řetechov. History The first written mention of Luhačovice is from 1412. At the end of the 16th century Luhačovice became the centre of a manor including 12 villages. After the Battle of White Mountain, the manor was acquired by Maximilian of Liechtenstein. He sold the manor soon and from 1629 until 1945 the manor belonged to the Serényi family. The Serényis were the first to make use of the mineral springs in the area and who built the spa. In the second half of the 17th century, Count Ondřej Serényi had adjusted the first spring, later named Amandka after another member of the family, Amand Serényi. Another spring was adjusted in around 1760 and later renamed Vincentka after Vincent Serényi. Reports of the healing power of Luhačovice springs spread, and the first inn for spa guests was built in 1789. In the late 18th century, new houses, inns and Chapel of Saint Elizabeth were built in the vicinity of the springs. In the late 19th century, stagnation and impending bankruptcy affected the spa. In 1902, a Czech physician František Veselý came to Luhačovice and decided to get financial means to change Luhačovice into a modern Czech spa by establishing a joint-stock company, which took over the spa from the control of the Serényis. They, however, kept on taking a significant part in