Běleč (Kladno District)

Běleč
Municipality
Church of Saint Nicholas
Flag Coat of arms
Běleč Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°3′23″N 13°59′35″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Central Bohemian
District	Kladno
First mentioned	1352
Area
• Total	18.47 km^2 (7.13 sq mi)
Elevation	526 m (1,726 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01)[1]
• Total	312
• Density	17/km^2 (44/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	273 63
Website	www.belec.cz

Běleč is a municipality and village in Kladno District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 300 inhabitants.

Etymology

The name is derived from the personal name Bělec, meaning "Bělec's (court)".^[2]

Geography

Běleč is located about 12 kilometres (7 mi) southwest of Kladno and 23 km (14 mi) west of Prague. It lies in the Křivoklát Highlands. The highest point is the hill Krchůvek at 472 m (1,549 ft) above sea level. The Vůznice Stream originates here and flows across the municipality. Běleč entirely lies in the Křivoklátsko Protected Landscape Area. Part of the Vůznice National Nature Reserve is also situated in Běleč's territory.

History

The first written mention of Běleč is from 1352.^[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 497 —     1880 526 +5.8% 1890 531 +1.0% 1900 476 −10.4% 1910 493 +3.6%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 482 −2.2% 1930 540 +12.0% 1950 369 −31.7% 1961 373 +1.1% 1970 349 −6.4%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 346 −0.9% 1991 330 −4.6% 2001 293 −11.2% 2011 336 +14.7% 2021 304 −9.5%
Source: Censuses[4][5]

Transport

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights

The main landmark of Běleč is the Church of Saint Nicholas. It was built in the Gothic style in the 14th century and rebuilt to its current appearance in 1903–1904. The church is surrounded by a cemetery and next to the cemetery stand a wooden bell tower from 1717.^[6][7]

Jenčov Castle is a castle ruin located in the woods south of the village. It is freely accessible.^[8]

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
2. Profous, Antonín (1947). Místní jména v Čechách I: A–H (in Czech). pp. 48–49.
3. "Obec" (in Czech). Obec Běleč. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
4. "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
5. "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
6. "Kostel sv. Mikuláše" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
7. "Běleč, kostel sv. Mikuláše". Noc kostelů (in Czech). Retrieved 2023-01-09.
8. "Hrad Jinčov, zřícenina" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-01-09.

External links

• Official website