| Mšeno | |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Central Bohemian |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Mělník |
| Pushpin Map: | Czech Republic |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in the Czech Republic |
| Coordinates: | 50.4378°N 14.6311°W |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Jiří Guttenberg |
| Established Title: | First mentioned |
| Established Date: | 1306 |
| Area Total Km2: | 26.73 |
| Elevation M: | 358 |
| Population As Of: | 2024-01-01 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 1403 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | CET |
| Utc Offset1: | +1 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 277 35 |
Mšeno (in Czech pronounced as /ˈm̩ʃɛno/; German: Wemschen) is a town in Mělník District the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,400 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.
The villages of Brusné 2.díl, Hradsko, Olešno, Ráj, Romanov, Sedlec, Skramouš and Vojtěchov are administrative parts of Mšeno.
The name is derived from the Czech word mech, i.e. 'moss'.[2]
Mšeno is located about 14km (09miles) northeast of Mělník and 37km (23miles) north of Prague. It lies on the border between the Jizera Table and Ralsko Uplands. The highest point is the hill Uhelný vrch at 451m (1,480feet) above sea level. A large part of the municipal territory lies in the Kokořínsko – Máchův kraj Protected Landscape Area.
The Slavic people settled the town area probably in the 5th–6th centuries. The first written mention of Mšeno is from 1306, in a document signed by Wenceslaus III awarding the then-village to aristocrat Hynek of Dubá. He, and his son after him, ensured the growing prosperity of the area. In 1367, Charles IV promoted Mšeno to a town.[3]
During the Thirty Years' War the town suffered, but in the 17th and 18th centuries, the town prospered and the population grew. In 1879, the railroad was built, and in 1901, the school was opened.[3]
Mšeno is located on the railway line Mělník–Mladějov.[4]
The Mšeno Speedway Stadium is a motorcycle speedway track located on the eastern edge of the town. The stadium is used for speedway and football. There is also a clay tennis court.[5] The stadium is the home venue for the team PDK Mšeno.
A valuable and numerous set of two-storey timbered and half-timbered small-town architecture is typical for the outskirts of the town. Most of the older buildings on the square disappeared during a large fire in 1867. The current appearance of the main urban spaces is determined by the late Neoclassical and eclectic buildings.[6]
In 1842, the town hall was built, then it was rebuilt and raised in the neo-Gothic style in 1864.[6]
The predecessor of today's parish church was allegedly the Romanesque Church of Saint Wenceslaus. In 1876–1879, the Church of Saint Martin was built. It has a high tower and it is the main urban and landscape landmark.[6]