| Stárkov | |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Hradec Králové |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Náchod |
| Pushpin Map: | Czech Republic |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in the Czech Republic |
| Coordinates: | 50.5317°N 16.15°W |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Petr Urban |
| Established Title: | First mentioned |
| Established Date: | 1250 |
| Area Total Km2: | 16.53 |
| Elevation M: | 441 |
| Population As Of: | 2024-01-01 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 627 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | CET |
| Utc Offset1: | +1 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal codes |
| Postal Code: | 549 31, 549 36 |
Stárkov (German: Starkstadt) is a town in Náchod District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 600 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.
The villages of Bystré, Chlívce, Horní Dřevíč and Vápenka are administrative parts of Stárkov.
The name is derived either from the Czech surname Stárek or from the German surname Stark. In the oldest preserved written record, both the Czech and German names of the settlement appear.[2]
Stárkov is located about 13km (08miles) north of Náchod and 27km (17miles) southwest of the Polish city of Wałbrzych. It lies in the Broumov Highlands, in the Broumovsko Protected Landscape Area. The Dřevíč Stream flows through the town.
The first written mention of Stárkov is from 1250. It was probably founded in the first half of the 13th century during the colonization of forests in this region. The name Stárkov was first used in 1321. In 1573, Stárkov was promoted to a town.[3]
There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.
The town hall is the main representative building of Stárkov and the landmark of the town square. The very first town hall is documented in 1575. The current town hall was built in 1854. The Baroque castle with gardens was originally built in 1546 and rebuilt in 1681–1691. Other sights on the square include historical houses, a Neoclassical fountain and a Marian column from 1726.[4]
The Church of Saint Joseph was built in 1654–1662, when it replaced an old church destroyed by a fire. The tower was added in 1765. The rectory from 1575 was restored in 1660. There is the Chapel of Fourteen Holy Helpers on a hill above the town. The way from the church to the chapel is lined with the Stations of the Cross.[4]