spread quickly, especially eastward. The Battle of Gitschin was fought nearby during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. Until 1918, the town was part of the Austrian monarchy (Austria side after the compromise of 1867), head of the Jicin – Jičín District, one of the 94 Bezirkshauptmannschaften in Bohemia. In 2019, the village of Hubálov, originally part of Tuř, was joined to Jičín. The transfer of the entire cadastral territory is unique in the modern history of the country. Demographics Culture Jičín is connected with the popular fairy tale character, Robin Hood-like robber Rumcajs. The town hosts the annual festival called "Jičín – The Town of Fairy Tale" established in 1990. Sights The historic centre is built around a rectangular square with a regular Gothic street layout, remnants of fortifications and arcade Renaissance and Baroque houses. The historic core is formed by Valdštejnské Square, where is the Valdštejnský Castle. The castle houses the Regional Museum and Gallery, a library and an elementary art school, among others. There is also a castle park. Next to the castle is the Church of Saint James the Great. The church, intended as a seat of a never-established bishopric, has never been completed, so it lacks a spire and a cupola. North of the town the is the Baroque summer house of Albrecht von Wallenstein called Valdštejnská Loggia. The original game park around it is nowadays a park called Libosad. The loggia is connected with the town by a -long alley of linden trees. The loggia, the park and the alley together with the town centre are parts of so-called Wallenstein's Baroque composed landscape (designed landscape axes connecting sacral buildings, landscape landmarks and the town) which was unfinished due to early death of von Wallenstein. There are several Jewish sights in the town. The most notable is the former synagogue, which was first documented in 1773. Notable people Jacob Bassevi (1580–1634), Jewish court financier Albrecht von Wallenstein (1583–1634), generalissimo and town lord Josef Gočár (1880–1945), architect František Kaván (1866–1941), painter and poet Karl Kraus (1874–1936), writer Vlastislav Hofman (1884–1964), artist and architect Josef Váchal (1884–1969), writer and painter Jaroslav Řezáč (1886–1974), ice hockey player Michal Suchánek (born 1965), actor and comedian Miluše Bittnerová (born 1977), actress Jana Plodková (born 1981), actress Jaroslav Soukup (born 1982), biathlete Twin towns – sister cities Jičín is twinned with: Erbach im Odenwald, Germany Martin, Slovakia Świdnica County, Poland Gallery Notes