Zdobnice

For the river, see Zdobnice (river).

Zdobnice (German: Stiebnitz) is a municipality and village in Rychnov nad Kněžnou District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 200 inhabitants.

Zdobnice
Municipality
Church of Saint Catherine
Coat of arms
Zdobnice Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°14′19″N 16°24′31″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Hradec Králové
District	Rychnov nad Kněžnou
First mentioned	1550
Area
• Total	33.04 km2 (12.76 sq mi)
Elevation	605 m (1,985 ft)
Population  (2025-01-01)[1]
• Total	185
• Density	5.6/km2 (15/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	516 01
Website	www.zdobnice.com

Etymology

The settlement was named after the Zdobnice River.^[2]

Geography

Zdobnice is located about 12 kilometres (7 mi) northeast of Rychnov nad Kněžnou and 40 km (25 mi) east of Hradec Králové. It lies in the Orlické Mountains. The highest point is the mountain Tetřevec at 1,044 metres (3,425 ft) above sea level. The Zdobnice River flows through the municipality.

History

The first written mention of Zdobnice is from 1550.^[3] According to the parish chronicle, the village already existed in 1500, but the year could not be verified by reliable sources. Until 1569, the area was owned by the Pernštejn family. In 1569, it was acquired by Emperor Rudolf II, who started massive logging here and the area was settled by lumberjacks.^[4]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 3,123 —     1880 3,133 +0.3% 1890 3,297 +5.2% 1900 2,841 −13.8% 1910 2,707 −4.7%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 2,348 −13.3% 1930 2,116 −9.9% 1950 258 −87.8% 1961 315 +22.1% 1970 288 −8.6%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 247 −14.2% 1991 184 −25.5% 2001 155 −15.8% 2011 155 +0.0% 2021 156 +0.6%
Source: Censuses[5][6]

Transport

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sport

Zdobnice has a small ski resort with three ski lifts.^[7]

Sights

Church of the Good Shepherd

The main landmark of Zdobnice is the Church of the Good Shepherd. It was built in the late Baroque style in 1787–1789.^[4][8]

The local part of Kačerov within the municipality has well preserved folk architecture and is protected as a village monument zone. The mainly half-timbered houses were built from the 18th until the beginning of the 20th century.^[9] In the centre of Kačerov is the Church of Saint Catherine. It was built in the late Baroque style in 1796–1798.^[10]