Štěkeň

• Name — Štěkeň • Settlement Type — Market town • Image Skyline — Zámek Štěkeň.JPG • Image Caption — Štěkeň Castle • Image Flag — Štěkeň flag2.svg • Image Shield — CoA of Štěkeň.svg • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Type1 — Region • Subdivision Name1 — South Bohemian • Subdivision Type2 — District • Subdivision Name2 — Strakonice • Pushpin Map — Czech Republic • Pushpin Relief — 1 • Pushpin Map Caption — Location in the Czech Republic • Established Title — First mentioned • Established Date — 1318 • Area Total Km2 — 14.47 • Elevation M — 388 • Population As Of — 2026-01-01 • Population Total — 891 • Population Density Km2 — auto • Timezone1 — CET • Utc Offset1 — +1 • Timezone1 Dst — CEST • Utc Offset1 Dst — +2 • Postal Code Type — Postal code • Postal Code — 387 51 • Website — https: steken.cz/ Štěkeň is a market town in Strakonice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 900 inhabitants.

Štěkeň consists of three municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): • Štěkeň (657) • Nové Kestřany (112) • Vítkov (64)

The name is derived from the personal name Štěkna (in Old Czech written as Ščekna), meaning "Štěkna's (court)".

Štěkeň is located about 7 km east of Strakonice and 46 km northwest of České Budějovice. It lies on the border between the České Budějovice Basin and Blatná Uplands. The highest point is the hill Brdo at 508 m above sea level. The municipality is situated on the left bank of the Otava River. The area is rich in fishponds and small streams.

The first written mention of Štěkeň is from 1318. It was the centre of a small estate to which four other villages belonged. From 1648 to 1781, Štěkeň was owned by the Losy of Losinthal family, then it was acquired by the Windisch-Graetz family. In 1784, Štěkeň was promoted to a market town.

The I/4 road (which connects the D4 motorway with Strakonice) briefly crosses the northwestern part of the municipal territory.

• Illustration — Church of Saint Nicholas The main landmarks of Štěkeň are the castle and the church. The Štěkeň Castle was built in the early Baroque style in 1664–1665, on the site of an older fortress. The façade was modified in 1784 and in the 19th century. The castle is surrounded by a landscape park from the first half of the 19th century. The Church of Saint Nicholas was built in the Baroque style in 1670. It replaced the Church of the Mary Magdalene, a wooden Gothic church built before 1457. In 1749, the church was rebuilt into its present form. It is an architecturally valuable building.

• Joseph Nicholas of Windisch-Graetz (1744–1802), Austrian nobleman; died here