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Sobotka

Coordinates: 50°28′3″N 15°10′35″E / 50.46750°N 15.17639°E / 50.46750; 15.17639
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This article is about the town in the Czech Republic. For other uses, see Sobotka (disambiguation).
Sobotka
Town
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Interactive map of Sobotka
Coordinates: 50°28′3″N 15°10′35″E / 50.46750°N 15.17639°E / 50.46750; 15.17639
CountryFile:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic
RegionHradec Králové
DistrictJičín
First mentioned1322
Government
 • MayorLubor Jenček (TOP 09)
Area
 • Total
19.33 km2 (7.46 sq mi)
Elevation
305 m (1,001 ft)
Population
 (2026-01-01)[1]
 • Total
2,401
 • Density124.2/km2 (321.7/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
507 43
Websitewww.sobotka.cz

Sobotka (Czech pronunciation: [ˈsobotka]) is a town in Jičín District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,400 inhabitants. The town is located in the Jičín Uplands.

The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone. The main landmark of the town is the Humprecht Castle, which is protected as a national cultural monument.

Administrative division

Sobotka consists of nine municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):[2]

  • Sobotka (1,986)
  • Čálovice (48)
  • Kdanice (49)
  • Lavice (23)
  • Spyšova (44)
  • Staňkova Lhota (74)
  • Stéblovice (28)
  • Trní (14)
  • Zajakury (34)

Etymology

There are two theories about the origin of the name Sobotka. Either it was derived from the Czech word sobota (i.e. 'Saturday') because the settlement was granted the right to hold markets on Saturdays, or from the relatively common Czech surname Sobotka.[3] However, it may be that the surname is derived from the name of the town.[4]

Geography

Sobotka is located about 13 kilometres (8 mi) northwest of Jičín and 62 km (39 mi) northeast of Prague. It lies in the Jičín Uplands. The highest point is at 393 m (1,289 ft) above sea level. The northern part of the municipal territory lies in the Bohemian Paradise Protected Landscape Area.

History

The first written mention of Sobotka is from 1322. For centuries, it belonged to the Kost Castle estate. In 1498, Sobotka was promoted to a town by Vladislaus II. The development of the town was hampered by frequent fires; the largest ones were in 1710, 1746 and 1825. In 1903, the railway was put into operation, but it did not bring an economic boom to the town.[5]

Demographics

Transport

The I/16 road (the section from Mladá Boleslav to Jičín) runs south of the town.

Sobotka is located on the railway line Mladá Boleslav–Mladějov.[8]

Culture

Since 1957, Sobotka hosts an annual festival of Czech language, speech and literature called Šrámkova Sobotka. The festival is named after the most famous local native, writer Fráňa Šrámek.[9]

Sights

The most valuable building is the Humprecht Castle, which is protected as a national cultural monument. It was built for Humprecht Jan Czernin by Italian architect Carlo Lurago in 1666–1668, as a summer house and hunting castle. It has atypical elliptical shape of its floor plan. It was damaged by the 1678 fire and in 1680, it was repaired and increased by one floor. Its appearance has not changed since then.[10]

The historic centre is formed by the square Náměstí Míru. It is known for preserved burgher houses and former town hall. Behind the square there is the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene. It was built in the late Gothic style in 1590–1596, when it replaced an old wooden church from the 14th century. It has late Baroque interiors.[11]

There are several preserved buildings of folk architecture in the town. The most notable is Šolc Farmhouse, dating from 1811.[11]

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

Sobotka is twinned with:[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Population in municipalities as at 1. 1". DataStat. Czech Statistical Office. 2026-05-18.
  2. ↑ "Public Census 2021 – basic data". Public Database (in čeština). Czech Statistical Office. 2022.
  3. ↑ Profous, Antonín (1957). Místní jména v Čechách IV: S–Ž (in čeština). p. 130.
  4. ↑ "O původu příjmení: Sobotka" (in čeština). Czech Radio. 2020-12-16. Retrieved 2026-09-11.
  5. ↑ "Historie města" (in čeština). Město Sobotka. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
  6. ↑ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in čeština). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
  7. ↑ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
  8. ↑ "Station details Sobotka". České dráhy. Retrieved 2026-09-11.
  9. ↑ "Šrámkova Sobotka vstupuje do šedesátého ročníku". Deník.cz (in čeština). 2016-06-29. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  10. ↑ "O Humprechtu". Humprecht Castle (in čeština). Město Sobotka. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Památky" (in čeština). Město Sobotka. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  12. ↑ "Partnerská města" (in čeština). Město Sobotka. Retrieved 2026-09-11.
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