Bečov nad Teplou

Bečov nad Teplou (German: Petschau) is a town in Karlovy Vary District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 900 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as urban monument zone.

Bečov nad Teplou
Town
Bečov Castle
Flag Coat of arms
Bečov nad Teplou Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°5′0″N 12°50′18″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Karlovy Vary
District	Karlovy Vary
First mentioned	1387
Government
• Mayor	Miroslav Nepraš
Area
• Total	19.82 km2 (7.65 sq mi)
Elevation	532 m (1,745 ft)
Population  (2025-01-01)[1]
• Total	903
• Density	46/km2 (120/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	364 64
Website	www.becov.cz

Administrative division

Bečov nad Teplou consists of three municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):^[2]

• Bečov nad Teplou (754)
• Krásný Jez (84)
• Vodná (71)

Krásný Jez forms an exclave of the municipal territory.

Etymology

According to the most probable theory, the initial name of the settlement was Bečkov and the name was derived from the personal name Bečka, meaning "Bečka's (court)".^[3]

Geography

Bečov nad Teplou is located about 16 kilometres (10 mi) south of Karlovy Vary. It lies in the Slavkov Forest. The highest point is the Besídka hill at 713 m (2,339 ft) above sea level. The Teplá River flows through the town.

History

The first written mention of the Bečov Castle is from 1317. It was founded by the Lords of Rýzmburk. The settlement of Bečov was first mentioned in 1387. In 1399, it was promoted to a town.^[4]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 2,905 —     1880 2,828 −2.7% 1890 2,729 −3.5% 1900 2,868 +5.1% 1910 2,809 −2.1%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 2,760 −1.7% 1930 2,853 +3.4% 1950 1,238 −56.6% 1961 1,512 +22.1% 1970 1,250 −17.3%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 1,138 −9.0% 1991 1,086 −4.6% 2001 1,002 −7.7% 2011 962 −4.0% 2021 909 −5.5%
Source: Censuses[5][6]

Transport

The I/20 road (part of the European route E49) from Plzeň to Karlovy Vary passes through Bečov nad Teplou.

Bečov nad Teplou is located on the regional railway line from Karlovy Vary to Mariánské Lázně. It is also the starting point of the lines to Rakovník and to Žlutice.^[7]

Sights

Church of Saint George

Bečov nad Teplou is known for the complex of Bečov Castle and Bečov Chateau. The complex is open to the public and offers guided tours.^[8] The exposition contains the second most valuable movable monument in the Czech Republic, the Reliquary of St. Maurus.^[9]

The Church of Saint George was built in the late Baroque style in 1763–1767. The tower was finished in 1885.^[10]

A notable landmark is the late Baroque town hall. It dates from 1760.^[11]

A botanical garden was gradually created in Bečov nad Teplou in 1918–1935. After the garden was acquired by the Czechoslovak state in 1945, it gradually fell ito disrepair. In 2005, the local botanical organization ČSOP Berkut decided to recover and maintain the botanical garden.^[12]

Notable people

• August Labitzky (1832–1903), composer and kapellmeister
• Eduard Götzl (1921–1986), German-Czech politician

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic

Bečov nad Teplou is twinned with:^[13]

• Eschenburg, Germany

Gallery

• 
  General view
• 
  Lower part of Bečov nad Teplou
• 
  Gate house of Bečov Castle
• 
  Reliquary of St. Maurus
• 
  Railway station
• 
  Pond in the botanical garden