Borovnice (Rychnov nad Kněžnou District)

Borovnice (Kienwald) is a municipality and village in Rychnov nad Kněžnou District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 400 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The villages of Homole, Přestavlky and Rájec are administrative parts of Borovnice.

Geography
Borovnice is located about 11 km south of Rychnov nad Kněžnou and 32 km southeast of Hradec Králové. It lies on the border between the Orlice Table and Svitavy Uplands. The highest point is at 401 m above sea level. The Brodec stream flows through the municipality and supplies two local fishponds.

History
The first written mention of Borovnice is from 1449. Rájec was first mentioned in 1399 and Přestavlky in 1400. Until 1756, Borovnice was owned by various less important noblemen. From 1756, it was a property of the Kinsky family.

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

Sights
The most valuable monument is the Přestavlky Castle. It was gradually built in the Baroque and Neoclassical styles between 1650 and 1750, on the site of an older fortress.

The village of Homole gave its name the nearby pilgrimage site with the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, but it is located just outside the municipal boundaries.

Notable people

 * František Marek (1899–1971), architect