Jabkenice

Jabkenice is a municipality and village in Mladá Boleslav District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 500 inhabitants.

Etymology
The name was probably derived from the Czech words jablko ('apple') and jabloň ('apple tree').

Geography
Jabkenice is located about 12 km south of Mladá Boleslav and 41 km northeast of Prague. It lies in a flat landscape in the Jizera Table. The brook Jabkenický potok flows through the municipality and supplies a system of fishponds.

History
The first written mention of Jabkenice is from 1352. From 1924 to 1950, it was called Jablkynice.

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

Sights
The main landmark of Jabkenice is the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. It is a Gothic cemetery church from the 13th century. Next to the church is a separate wooden bell tower.

Jabkenice Lodge next to a large game park was built for the Thurn und Taxis family as the seat of the forestry office. The building became known as the last residence of Bedřich Smetana, who wrote some of his most famous works here. Today, the Bedřich Smetana Memorial with a museum about his life and work is located here.

Notable people

 * Bedřich Smetana (1824–1884), composer; lived and worked here in 1875–1884