Pecka

Pecka is a market town in Jičín District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,300 inhabitants. The historic town centre with the castle ruin is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.

Administrative parts
The villages of Arnoštov, Bělá u Pecky, Bukovina u Pecky, Horní Javoří, Kal, Staňkov and Vidonice are administrative parts of Pecka.

Geography
Pecka is located about 18 km east of Jičín and 33 km northwest of Hradec Králové. It lies in the Giant Mountains Foothills. The highest point is the hill Červený vrch at 541 m above sea level. The Javorka River flows next to the market town.

History
The Pecka Castle was founded in the early 13th century. The first written mention of Pecka is from 1322, when a settlement started to grow below the castle. In 1382, it was promoted to a town. In the late 16th century, the Gothic castle was rebuilt to a Renaissance residence. The most famous owner of the castle was Kryštof Harant until his death in 1621. In 1830, the castle was burned down and turned into a ruin.

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

Sights
The Pecka Castle is open to the public and contains several expositions.

The Church of Saint Bartholomew was built by the Carthusians in 1751–1753, when it replaced an old stone church from 1603.