Jičín (; or Gitschin) is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 16,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation. The town's history is connected with Albrecht von Wallenstein who had rebuilt the town, and many sights bear his name. Administrative parts Jičín is made up of town parts of Holínské Předměstí, Nové Město, Pražské Předměstí, Sedličky, Soudná, Staré Město and Valdické Předměstí, and villages of Dvorce, Hubálov, Moravčice, Popovice and Robousy. Etymology The origin of the name Jičín is unknown, but according to the most probable hypotheses, it was derived from the German name of Queen Judith of Habsburg Guta, or from Dičín, derived from the Old Czech word dík (meaning "wild boar", of which many lived here). Geography Jičín is located about northeast of Prague. It lies in the heart of the Jičín Uplands. The highest point is the hill Zebín with an altitude of . The town is situated on the Cidlina river. Several other small watercources also flow through the municipal territory, including streams Valdický, Popovický, Úlibický, and Trnávka. There are five ponds in the territory, the largest of them is Šibeňák. Ponds Kníže and Šibeňák are located right in the urban area. Jičín is sometimes called "Gate to the Bohemian Paradise", however the territory of the Bohemian Paradise region begins beyond the borders of the Jičín municipal territory. In the northern part there are two nature monuments, Zebín (comprising the hill's peak) and Libosad-obora (comprising the whole Libosad park). History The area of Jičín is inhabited almost 8,000 years thanks to the convenient geographical and climatic conditions. The settlement in the area of today's town is first mentioned in 1143 in deed of foundation of the Strahov Monastery. The town of Jičín was founded in the 13th century on the place of the village Staré Místo near the Veliš Castle. It was moved northward to its present location shortly afterward, which was better protected by the Cidlina River. The first written mention of Jičín comes from a document by Queen Judith of Habsburg, the wife of King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia, dated 1 August 1293. The town was built with a regular street layout around a rectangular square and was surrounded by wooden fortifications with reinforced bastions and a trench. Jičín was first the royal town, but