| Zbečno | |
| Settlement Type: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Central Bohemian |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Rakovník |
| Pushpin Map: | Czech Republic |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in the Czech Republic |
| Coordinates: | 50.0419°N 13.9206°W |
| Established Title: | First mentioned |
| Established Date: | 1003 |
| Area Total Km2: | 15.15 |
| Elevation M: | 235 |
| Population As Of: | 2024-01-01 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 613 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | CET |
| Utc Offset1: | +1 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 270 24 |
Zbečno is a municipality and village in Rakovník District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 600 inhabitants.
The village of Újezd nad Zbečnem is an administrative part of Zbečno.
The initial name of the village was Stbečna. The origin of the name is unclear. It could be derived from the word stéblo ('stalk') or from the old word jistba, which denoted a log cabin or a type of bridge pillar.[2] [3]
Zbečno is located about 15km (09miles) southeast of Rakovník and 32km (20miles) west of Prague. It lies in the Křivoklát Highlands and within the Křivoklátsko Landscape Protected Area, which administration have its seat here.[4]
The municipality is situated at the confluence of the Berounka River and Klíčava Stream. Klíčava Reservoir is located on the Klíčava Stream in the northernmost part of the municipal territory.
The first written mention of Zbečno is from 1003. After the Křivoklát Castle was built, it became part of the Křivoklát estate.[3]
At the beginning of the 16th century, Zbečno was promoted to a market town by King Vladislaus II, but it was severely damaged in the Thirty Years' War and in the second half of the 17th century, it was again only a village. In 1685, Zbečno was bought by the Waldstein family and ceased to be a royal property.[3]
In 1950–1953, Klíčava Reservoir was built, and Zbečov became a centre of tourism.[3]
Zbečno is located on the railway line Beroun–Rakovník. The municipality is served by two train stations: Zbečno and Újezd nad Zbečnem.[5]
The main landmark of Zbečno is the Church of Saint Martin. The original Romanesque church probably existed already at the end of the 11th century. It was rebuilt in the Gothic style in the 1470s. In 1714–1716, the church was rebuilt into its current Baroque form.[3]