Štěkeň is a market town in

Strakonice District Strakonice District () is a district in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Strakonice. Administrative division Strakonice District is divided into three administrative districts of municipalities with ext ...

in the

South Bohemian Region The South Bohemian Region () is an administrative unit (''Regions of the Czech Republic, kraj'') of the Czech Republic, located mostly in the southern part of its historical land of Bohemia, with a small part in southwestern Moravia. The western ...

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 900 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Štěkeň consists of three municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Štěkeň (657) *Nové Kestřany (112) *Vítkov (64)

Geography

Štěkeň is located about east of

Strakonice Strakonice (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 22,000 inhabitants. Administrative division Strakonice consists of eight municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Strakonice ...

and northwest of

České Budějovice České Budějovice (; ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 97,000 inhabitants. The city is located in the valley of the Vltava River, at its confluence with the Malše. České Budějovice is the largest ...

. It lies on the border between the

České Budějovice Basin The České Budějovice Basin () is a structural basin and Geomorphological division of the Czech Republic, geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located in the South Bohemian Region and it is named after the city of České Bud� ...

and

Blatná Uplands Blatná (; ) is a town in Strakonice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 6,700 inhabitants. It is known for a water castle in the centre of a fishpond, and a landscape garden around it. The historic town centr ...

. The highest point is the hill Brdo at above sea level. The municipality is situated on the left bank of the Otava River. The area is rich in fishponds and small streams.

History

The first written mention of Štěkeň is from 1318. It was the centre of a small estate to which four other villages belonged. From 1648 to 1781, Štěkeň was owned by the Losy of Losinthal family, then it was acquired by the

Windisch-Graetz The House of Windisch-Graetz, also spelled Windischgrätz, is an ancient Austrian aristocratic family, descending from Windischgrätz in Lower Styria (present-day Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia). The noble dynasty serving the House of Habsburg achieve ...

family. In 1784, Štěkeň was promoted to 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 ...

Demographics

Transport

The I/4 road (which connects the D4 motorway with

) briefly crosses the northwestern part of the municipal territory.

Sights

The main landmarks of Štěkeň are the castle and the church. The Štěkeň Castle was built in the early Baroque style in 1664–1665, on the site of an older fortress. The façade was modified in 1784 and in the 19th century. The castle is surrounded by a landscape park from the first half of the 19th century. The Church of Saint Nicholas was built in the Baroque style in 1670. It replaced the Church of the Mary Magdalene, a wooden Gothic church built before 1457. In 1749, the church was rebuilt into its present form. It is an architecturally valuable building.

Notable people

Joseph Nicholas of Windisch-Graetz Joseph Louis Nicholas, Count of Windisch-Graetz, Baron of Waldstein and Thal (6 December 1744 – 24 January 1802) was a nobleman, a member of the House of Windisch-Graetz, and was chamberlain (office), chamberlain to Archduchess Marie Antoinette ...

(1744–1802), Austrian nobleman; died here

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Steken Populated places in Strakonice District Market towns in the Czech Republic Prácheňsko