| Deštná | |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | South Bohemian |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Jindřichův Hradec |
| Pushpin Map: | Czech Republic |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in the Czech Republic |
| Coordinates: | 49.2653°N 14.9211°W |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | David Šašek |
| Established Title: | First mentioned |
| Established Date: | 1294 |
| Area Total Km2: | 12.70 |
| Elevation M: | 520 |
| Population As Of: | 2024-01-01 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 728 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | CET |
| Utc Offset1: | +1 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 378 25 |
Deštná (German: Deschna) is a town in Jindřichův Hradec District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 700 inhabitants.
The village of Lipovka is an administrative part of Deštná.
The name was derived either from the Czech word déšť (i.e. 'rain'), which described a rainy landscape, or from the old Czech expression deščený, which denoted a forest made up of tall but not very branched trees.[2]
Deštná is located about 14km (09miles) north of Jindřichův Hradec and 45km (28miles) northeast of České Budějovice. It lies in the Křemešník Highlands. The highest point is the hill Deštenská hora at 647m (2,123feet) above sea level. The stream of Dírenský potok flows through the town. The municipal territory is rich in fishponds.
The first written mention of Deštná is a donation deed of Oldřich of Hradec from 1294, when it was already a market town. In 1364, Lords of Hradec sold Deštná to the Rosenberg family, who annexed it to the Choustník estate. In 1418, Deštná was promoted to a town. With a short break in 1531–1538, the Rosenbergs owned Deštná until 1596, when they sold it to Vilém Ruth. He annexed the town to the Červená Lhota estate, which remained so until the establishment of an independent municipality in 1848. In 1774, Deštná was badly damaged by a large fire.[2]
There are no railways or major roads running through the municipal territory.
The main landmark of Deštná is the Church of Saint Otto. It was built by the Teutonic Order after 1255 and was extended in 1380. The tower was raised in 1687. In 1733, it was rebuilt in the Baroque style. It is the only church in the country dedicated to Saint Otto of Bamberg.[3] [4]
The Chapel of Saint John the Baptist is located on the outskirts of the town. It was built in the second quarter of the 17th century and rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style in the 18th and 19th centuries.[5]
Among the tourist destinations are the Aviation Museum Deštná with exhibits about Czechoslovak RAF pilots in World War II, and Rope Museum of Karel Klik, which presents the rope-making craft.[6]