Trstěnice (Svitavy District)

Trstěnice is a municipality and village in Svitavy District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 500 inhabitants.

Etymology
The Czech words třtí or trstí used to be terms for common reed. The adjective trstěná, from which the name of the village is derived, denoted a river flowing through the common reed.

Geography
Trstěnice is located about 9 km northwest of Svitavy and 48 km southeast of Pardubice. It lies in the Svitavy Uplands. The highest point is at 579 m above sea level. The village is situated in a valley of the Loučná River.

History
The first written mention of Trstěnice is from 993. The village gave its name to the Trstěnice Route, which was an important medieval trade route that connected Bohemia and Moravia.

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

Sights
The main landmark of Trstěnice is the Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross. It was first documented in 1350. It is originally a Gothic building, later rebuilt in the Baroque style. Next to the church stands a separate bell tower. It is one of the most valuable fortificated church complexes in Bohemia.