Hořovičky

Hořovičky (until 1947 Hořovice, Německé Hořovice; Deutsch Horowitz) is a municipality and village in Rakovník District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 500 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The villages of Bukov, Hokov and Vrbice are administrative parts of Hořovičky.

Etymology
The initial name Hořovice was derived from the personal name Hoř or Hora, meaning "the village of Hoř's/Hora's people". The attribute Německé, which was used in the first half of the 20th century, meant 'German' and was used to distinguish it from the town of Hořovice. The municipality was then renamed to Hořovičky, which is a diminutive of Hořovice.

Geography
Hořovičky is located about 15 km northwest of Rakovník and 57 km west of Prague. It lies in the Rakovník Uplands. The highest point is at 498 m above sea level.

History
The first written mention of Hořovice is from 1392.

In 1947, the municipality was renamed to its current name.

Transport
The I/6 road, part of the European route E48, passes through the municipality. It replaces the unfinished section of the D6 motorway from Prague to Karlovy Vary.

Sights
There are three churches in the municipality, all protected as cultural monuments. The Church of the Holy Trinity is a small late Baroque church with a Neoclassical façade. The Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius was built in the Neo-Romanesque style in the early 20th century. It was built for the Protestant Church and today serves the Orthodox Church. The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in located in the village of Vrbice. It is also a Neo-Romanesque building.

Tobiášův vrch is a steel telecommunication tower on the lower peak of the eponymous hill, which also serves as an observation tower. The telecommunication mast is 48 m high and the observation deck is at a height of 25 m.