Stará Paka

Stará Paka
Municipality
Train station
Flag Coat of arms
Stará Paka Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°30′30″N 15°29′38″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Hradec Králové
District	Jičín
First mentioned	1357
Area
• Total	21.71 km^2 (8.38 sq mi)
Elevation	407 m (1,335 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01)[1]
• Total	2,134
• Density	98/km^2 (250/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal codes	507 91, 509 01
Website	www.starapaka.cz

Stará Paka is a municipality and village in Jičín District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,100 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The villages of Brdo, Karlov, Krsmol, Roškopov and Ústí are administrative parts of Stará Paka.

Etymology

The name Paka appeared in its initial form as Paká. The meaning of the adjective paká is unclear. It probably meant 'opposite' (opačná in modern Czech), and probably referred to its location on the shady slopes, away from the sun. Already from the 14th century, two settlements (Stará Paka – 'old Paka' and Nová Paka – 'new Paka') were distinguished.[2]

Geography

Stará Paka is located about 12 kilometres (7 mi) northeast of Hradec Králové and 40 km (25 mi) northwest of Hradec Králové. It lies in a hilly landscape of the Giant Mountains Foothills. The highest point is the hill Staropacká hora at 578 m (1,896 ft) above sea level. The Oleška River flows through the municipality.

History

The first written mention of Stará Paka is from 1357.[2] Little is known about its past. Together with the neighbouring town of Nová Paka, it belonged to the Kumburk estate.[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 3,398 —     1880 3,485 +2.6% 1890 3,701 +6.2% 1900 3,941 +6.5% 1910 4,449 +12.9%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 4,188 −5.9% 1930 3,934 −6.1% 1950 2,924 −25.7% 1961 2,953 +1.0% 1970 2,686 −9.0%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 2,549 −5.1% 1991 2,127 −16.6% 2001 2,024 −4.8% 2011 2,013 −0.5% 2021 1,988 −1.2%
Source: Censuses[4][5]

Transport

Stará Paka is located on the railway lines Liberec–Pardubice and Kolín–Trutnov.[6]

Sights

Church of Saint Lawrence

The main landmark of Stará Paka is the Church of Saint Lawrence. It was built in the Baroque style in 1754–1760, on the site of an older wooden church.[7]

For its preserved folk architecture, the almost entire village of Karlov is protected as a village monument zone. It consists of half-timbered houses from the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries with very decorative wooden gables called lomenice.[8]

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
2. Profous, Antonín (1951). Místní jména v Čechách III: M–Ř (in Czech). p. 318.
3. "Stará Paka" (in Czech). Hradec Králové Region. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
4. "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
5. "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
6. "Detail stanice Stará Paka" (in Czech). České dráhy. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
7. "Kostel sv. Vavřince s ohrazením" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
8. "Karlov" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-03-07.

External links

• Official website