{{About|the town in the Czech Republic}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Sobotka | other_name = | settlement_type = Town <!-- images --> | image_skyline = Namesti miru-08-2019-sobotka.jpg | image_caption = Aerial view of the historic centre | image_flag = Sobotka Flag.jpg | image_shield = Sobotka CoA CZ.jpg <!-- location --> | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{CZE}} | subdivision_type1 = Region | subdivision_name1 = Hradec Králové | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = Jičín <!-- maps and coordinates --> | image_map = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Czech Republic | pushpin_relief = 1 | pushpin_map_caption = Location in the Czech Republic | coordinates = {{coord|50|28|3|N|15|10|35|E|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_footnotes = <!-- government type, leaders --> | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = Lubor Jenček | leader_party = TOP 09 <!-- established --> | established_title = First mentioned | established_date = 1322 <!-- area --> | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 19.33 <!-- elevation --> | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 305 <!-- population --> | population_as_of = 2025-01-01 | population_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|title=Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2025|url=https://csu.gov.cz/produkty/population-of-municipalities-t4l3n8d2iw|publisher=Czech Statistical Office|date=2025-05-16}}</ref> | population_total = 2400 | population_density_km2 = auto <!-- time zone(s) --> | timezone1 = CET | utc_offset1 = +1 | timezone1_DST = CEST | utc_offset1_DST = +2 <!-- postal codes, area code --> | postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = 507 43 | area_code_type = | area_code = <!-- website, footnotes --> | website = {{URL|https://www.sobotka.cz/}} | footnotes = }} '''Sobotka''' ({{IPA|cs|ˈsobotka}}) is a town in Jičín District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,400 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone.
==Administrative division== Sobotka consists of nine municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):<ref>{{cite web |title=Public Census 2021 – basic data|url=https://vdb.czso.cz/vdbvo2/faces/en/index.jsf?page=vystup-objekt-parametry&z=T&f=TABULKA&sp=A&skupId=4690&katalog=33475&pvo=SLD21043-CO|work=Public Database|publisher=Czech Statistical Office|language=cs|date=2022}}</ref> {{div col|colwidth=12em}} *Sobotka (1,986) *Čálovice (48) *Kdanice (49) *Lavice (23) *Spyšova (44) *Staňkova Lhota (74) *Stéblovice (28) *Trní (14) *Zajakury (34) {{div col end}}
==Etymology== There are two theories about the origin of the name. 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.<ref>{{cite book |last=Profous|first=Antonín|title=Místní jména v Čechách IV: S–Ž|url=https://mjc.ujc.cas.cz/search.php|page=130|year=1957|language=cs}}</ref>
==Geography== Sobotka is located about {{convert|13|km|0}} northwest of Jičín and {{convert|62|km|abbr=on}} northeast of Prague. It lies in the Jičín Uplands. The highest point is at {{convert|393|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level. The northern part of the municipal territory lies in the Bohemian Paradise Protected Landscape Area.
==History== thumb|View of Sobotka from the north 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 biggest 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Historie města|url=https://www.sobotka.cz/historie|publisher=Město Sobotka|language=cs|access-date=2022-11-03}}</ref>
==Demographics== {{historical populations |align=none|cols=3 |1869|3642 |1880|3642 |1890|3395 |1900|3381 |1910|3450 |1921|3254 |1930|3098 |1950|2554 |1961|2568 |1970|2451 |1980|2365 |1991|2287 |2001|2289 |2011|2413 |2021|2300 |source=Censuses<ref>{{cite web |title=Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011|url=https://csu.gov.cz/produkty/historicky-lexikon-obci-1869-az-2015|publisher=Czech Statistical Office|language=cs|date=2015-12-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Population Census 2021: Population by sex|url=https://vdb.czso.cz/vdbvo2/faces/en/index.jsf?page=vystup-objekt-parametry&z=T&f=TABULKA&sp=A&skupId=4429&katalog=33515&pvo=SLD21001-OB-OK|work=Public Database|publisher=Czech Statistical Office|date=2021-03-27}}</ref>}}
==Transport== thumb|Míru Square 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Detail stanice Sobotka|url=https://www.cd.cz/stanice/sobotka/5455880|publisher=České dráhy|language=cs|access-date=2024-07-18}}</ref>
==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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Šrámkova Sobotka vstupuje do šedesátého ročníku|url=https://www.denik.cz/ostatni_kultura/sramkova-sobotka-vstupuje-do-sedesateho-rocniku-20160629-jc9x.html|publisher=Deník.cz|language=cs|date=2016-06-29|access-date=2021-09-16}}</ref>
==Sights== thumb|Humprecht Castle thumb|Church of Saint Mary Magdalene The most valuable building is the Humprecht Castle, 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. In 1678, it was damaged by a fire, and in 1680, it was repaired and increased by one floor. Its appearance has not changed since then.<ref>{{cite web |title=O Humprechtu|url=https://www.humprecht.cz/zamek|work=Humprecht Castle|publisher=Město Sobotka|language=cs|access-date=2022-11-04}}</ref>
The historic centre is formed by Míru Square. 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 and replaced an old wooden church from the 14th century. It has late Baroque interiors.<ref name=sights>{{cite web |title=Památky|url=https://www.sobotka.cz/pamatky-a-zajimavosti|publisher=Město Sobotka|language=cs|access-date=2021-09-16}}</ref>
There are several preserved buildings of folk architecture in the town. The most notable is Šolc Farmhouse, dating from 1811.<ref name=sights/>
==Notable people== *Fráňa Šrámek (1877–1952), writer
==Twin towns – sister cities== {{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic}} Sobotka is twinned with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Partnerská města|url=https://www.sobotka.cz/partnerska-mesta|publisher=Město Sobotka|language=cs|access-date=2021-09-16}}</ref> *{{flagicon|POL}} Sobótka, Poland *{{flagicon|GER}} Wadern, Germany
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category|Sobotka}} *{{official|https://www.sobotka.cz/}} *[https://www.humprecht.cz/ Humprecht Castle]
{{Jičín District}}
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Category:Cities and towns in the Hradec Králové Region Category:Populated places in Jičín District