ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA	CZECH REPUBLIC
Královéhradecký kraj	Hradec Králové region
Okres: Rychnov nad Kněžnou

map →

Kostelec nad Orlicí (Adlerkosteletz) is situated at an elevation of 272 m on the river Divoká Orlice (Wilde Adler) about 8 km southwest of the district town Rychnov nad Kněžnou in the Hradec Králové (Königgrätz) region of eastern Bohemia. The first document mentioning the town, a chronicle from Zbraslav (Königsaal), dates from 1316 and refers to a fortified church at this place (kostel is Czech for church).

One of the most important sights of Kostelec nad Orlicí is the  deanery church of St. George (děkanský kostel Sv. Jiří) [background right]. The first mention of a fortified church at this place dates from 1316. In the 14th century Kostelec nad Orlicí was the head of a deanery which among others included the parishes of Brandýs nad Orlicí (Brandeis an der Adler), Rychnov nad Kněžnou (Reichenau an der Knieschna), Rokytnice v Orlických horách (Rokitnitz im Adlergebirge), Žamberk (Senftenberg). The present Baroque church was built by František Kermer in 1769–1773 in place of a prior Gothic construction. The church was partly remodeled in 1891–1893. An art-historical treasure is the Gothic statue of the Madonna dating from around 1500.