Smečno () is a town in

Kladno District Kladno District () is a Okres, district in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the city of Kladno. Administrative division Kladno District is divided into two Districts of the Czech Republic#Municipalities with extend ...

in the

Central Bohemian Region The Central Bohemian Region ( ; ) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the central part of its historical region of Bohemia. Its administrative centre is in the Czech capital Prague, which lies in the centre of the regio ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. It has about 2,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone.

Etymology

The name is derived from the Czech word ''smyk'', i.e. 'skid'. There was probably a dreaded steep road where there was a risk of slipping.

Geography

Smečno is located about northwest of

Kladno Kladno (; ) is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 70,000 inhabitants. It is the largest city in the region and has a rich industrial history. Administrative division Kladno consists of six municipal parts ...

and northwest of

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

. The eastern part of the municipal territory with the built-up area lies in the

Prague Plateau The Prague Plateau () is a plateau and a geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located in the area of Prague and in the Central Bohemian Region. Geomorphology The Prague Plateau is a mesoregion of the Brdy Macroregion within ...

, the western part lies in the Džbán range. The highest point is at above sea level.

History

The first written mention of a fortress in Smečno is from 1252. In 1510, Smečno became a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

and in 1515 it became a town.

Demographics

Transport

There are no railways or major roads running through the municipal territory.

Sights

The fortress in Smečno was rebuilt into a late Gothic castle in 1460, and in the 16th century, it was rebuilt into a Renaissance arcaded castle with a Gothic tower. Nowadays the Smečno Castle serves as a retirement home and the Institute of Social Care. Its park is open to the public. The Church of the Holy Trinity is located next to the castle. Originally a medieval church, it was rebuilt and extended in the Renaissance style in 1587. The

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is us ...

dates from the 14th century and originally served as a presbytery. Smečno Military Open-Air Museum shows fortifications built in 1935–1938. It is fully equipped and armed fortress, one of the few preserved objects of the External Defense of Prague (so-called Prague Line).

Notable people

* Jaroslav Bořita of Martinice (1582–1649), nobleman and a representative of Ferdinand II * Heinrich Clam-Martinic (1863–1932), Austrian statesman, prime minister of Austro-Hungary in 1916–1917 * Zdeněk Liška (1922–1983), film score composer

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smecno Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Kladno District