Krásná Lípa Explained

Krásná Lípa
Settlement Type:Town
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Ústí nad Labem
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Děčín
Pushpin Map:Czech Republic
Pushpin Relief:1
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates:50.9133°N 14.5089°W
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Jan Kolář
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:1361
Area Total Km2:31.42
Elevation M:426
Population As Of:2024-01-01
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:3367
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:407 46

Krásná Lípa (in Czech pronounced as /ˈkraːsnaː ˈliːpa/; German: Schönlinde) is a town in Děčín District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,400 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The villages of Dlouhý Důl, Hely, Kamenná Horka, Krásný Buk, Kyjov, Sněžná, Vlčí Hora and Zahrady are administrative parts of Krásná Lípa.

Etymology

Both the Czech and German name literally mean "beautiful linden".

Geography

Krásná Lípa is located about northeast of Děčín and 43km (27miles) northeast of Ústí nad Labem. It lies on the border of three nature regions. Most of the municipal territory lies in the Lusatian Highlands, but it also extends into the Lusatian Mountains in the south and into the Elbe Sandstone Mountains in the west. The highest point is the hill Široký vrch at 586m (1,923feet) above sea level.

Krásná Lípa extends into the Bohemian Switzerland National Park in the west. The headquarters of the administration of the national park is located in the town.[2]

History

The first written mention of Krásná Lípa is from 1361. About 30 families from Upper Franconia colonized the place. Krásná Lípa belonged to the Tolštejn estate until the 16th century, when it was purchased by the Wartenberg family and joined to the Kamenice estate.[3]

John Barnes, an English expert on textile industry, was hired in 1731 to found a spinning factory in the town. In 1731, Krásná Lípa was promoted to a market town by Emperor Charles VI. In 1870, Krásná Lípa became a town.[3]

In 1910, the town proper reached its greatest population with 6,930 inhabitants. The expulsion of Germans in 1945–1946 reduced the population by half and more than 300 deserted houses were demolished, others dilapidated.[3]

Transport

Krásná Lípa is located on two railway lines: KolínRumburk and Děčín–Rumburk.[4]

Sights

The Church of Saint Mary Magdalene is a late Baroque building from 1754, which replaced an old church. In 1777, the tower was built, and in 1816–1818, the extensive staircase in front of the church was built.[5]

The town hall is a Neo-Renaissance building with Art Nouveau elements built in 1899–1900, originally as the seat of the savings bank.[5]

The Bohemian Switzerland House is a tourist information office with an exposition dedicated to Bohemian Switzerland.[5]

The folk architecture in the village of Dlouhý Důl is well preserved and is protected by law as a village monument zone. The houses form a preserved compact set of original mostly half-timbered houses.[6]

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic. Krásná Lípa is twinned with:[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024. Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
  2. Web site: Informace dle zákona 106/1999 Sb.. Administration of the Bohemian Switzerland National Park. cs. 2024-07-10.
  3. Web site: Historie a kronika města. Město Krásná Lípa. cs. 2021-07-15.
  4. Web site: Detail stanice Krásná Lípa. České dráhy. cs. 2024-07-10.
  5. Web site: Kam ve městě. Město Krásná Lípa. cs. 2021-07-15.
  6. Web site: Dlouhý Důl – vesnická památková zóna. CzechTourism. cs. 2022-05-26.
  7. Web site: Partnerská města. Město Krásná Lípa. cs. 2023-05-29.