Rychnov nad Kněžnou District (Czech: okres Rychnov nad Kněžnou) is a district in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Rychnov nad Kněžnou.

Rychnov nad Kněžnou District is divided into three administrative districts of municipalities with extended competence: Rychnov nad Kněžnou, Dobruška and Kostelec nad Orlicí.

Towns are marked in bold and market towns in italics:

Albrechtice nad Orlicí - Bačetín - Bartošovice v Orlických horách - Bílý Újezd - Bohdašín - Bolehošť - Borohrádek - Borovnice - Bystré - Byzhradec - Častolovice - Čermná nad Orlicí - Černíkovice - České Meziříčí - Čestice - Chleny - Chlístov - Deštné v Orlických horách - Dobřany - Dobré - Dobruška - Doudleby nad Orlicí - Hřibiny-Ledská - Jahodov - Janov - Javornice - Kostelec nad Orlicí - Kostelecké Horky - Kounov - Králova Lhota - Krchleby - Kvasiny - Lhoty u Potštejna - Libel - Liberk - Lično - Lípa nad Orlicí - Lukavice - Lupenice - Mokré - Nová Ves - Očelice - Ohnišov - Olešnice - Olešnice v Orlických horách - Opočno - Orlické Záhoří - Osečnice - Pěčín - Podbřezí - Pohoří - Polom - Potštejn - Přepychy - Proruby - Říčky v Orlických horách - Rohenice - Rokytnice v Orlických horách - Rybná nad Zdobnicí - Rychnov nad Kněžnou - Sedloňov - Semechnice - Skuhrov nad Bělou - Slatina nad Zdobnicí - Sněžné - Solnice - Svídnice - Synkov-Slemeno - Třebešov - Trnov - Tutleky - Týniště nad Orlicí - Val - Vamberk - Voděrady - Vrbice - Záměl - Žďár nad Orlicí Zdelov - Zdobnice

Rychnov nad Kněžnou District borders Poland in the east. The terrain is very varied, in the east it is mountainous and towards the west it becomes foothills and then flat. The territory extends into four geomorphological mesoregions: Orlice Table (west), Orlické Foothills (centre), Orlické Mountains (east) and Svitavy Uplands (small part in the southwest). The highest point of the district is the mountain Velká Deštná in Deštné v Orlických horách with an elevation of 1,116 m (3,661 ft), the lowest point is the river bed of the Orlice in Týniště nad Orlicí at 240 m (790 ft).

From the total district area of 982.1 km (379.2 sq mi), agricultural land occupies 520.1 km (200.8 sq mi), forests occupy 373.1 km (144.1 sq mi), and water area occupies 13.4 km (5.2 sq mi). Forests cover 38.0% of the district's area.

The most significant river is the Divoká Orlice, which forms the Czech-Polish border and then crosses the district in the south. It then connects with the Tichá Orlice within the district to form the Orlice River. Other notable rivers are the Dědina, Bělá and Zdobnice. The largest body of water is the fishpond Broumar with an area of 67 ha (170 acres).

Orlické hory is a protected landscape area that covers the eastern part of the district.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 101,194 —     1880 105,070 +3.8% 1890 105,913 +0.8% 1900 103,483 −2.3% 1910 104,203 +0.7%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 98,019 −5.9% 1930 95,802 −2.3% 1950 74,322 −22.4% 1961 77,122 +3.8% 1970 76,751 −0.5%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 79,491 +3.6% 1991 78,144 −1.7% 2001 78,294 +0.2% 2011 77,829 −0.6% 2021 77,580 −0.3%
Source: Censuses

Name	Population	Area (km)
Rychnov nad Kněžnou	11,442	35
Dobruška	6,557	34
Týniště nad Orlicí	6,187	52
Kostelec nad Orlicí	6,178	26
Vamberk	4,676	21
Opočno	3,140	14
Solnice	2,352	13
Rokytnice v Orlických horách	2,164	40
Borohrádek	2,105	14
České Meziříčí	2,037	22

The largest employers with headquarters in Rychnov nad Kněžnou District and at least 500 employees are:

Economic entity	Location	Number of employees	Main activity
Federal-Mogul Friction Products	Kostelec nad Orlicí	500–999	Automotive industry
Assa Abloy Opening Solutions CZ	Rychnov nad Kněžnou	500–999	Manufacture of locks and hinges
ESAB CZ	Vamberk	500–999	Manufacture of welding and cutting equipment

The main employer is the factory of Škoda Auto in Kvasiny with about 9,000 employees.

There are no motorways passing through the district. The most important roads are the I/11 from Hradec Králové to Šumperk and the I/14 from Náchod to Ústí nad Orlicí.

The most important monuments in the district, protected as national cultural monuments, are:

• Opočno Castle
• Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Liberk
• Church of Our Lady of Sorrows in Lhoty u Potštejna

The best-preserved settlements, protected as monument zones, are:

• Dobruška
• Opočno
• Rokytnice v Orlických horách
• Rychnov nad Kněžnou
• Zdobnice-Kačerov

The most visited tourist destination is the Velká Deštná observation tower.

• Rychnov nad Kněžnou District – profile on the Czech Statistical Office website