| Raspenava | |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Liberec |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Liberec |
| Pushpin Map: | Czech Republic |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in the Czech Republic |
| Coordinates: | 50.9042°N 15.1147°W |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Josef Málek |
| Established Title: | First mentioned |
| Established Date: | 1343 |
| Area Total Km2: | 41.28 |
| Elevation M: | 331 |
| Population As Of: | 2024-01-01 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 2849 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | CET |
| Utc Offset1: | +1 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 463 61 |
Raspenava (in Czech pronounced as /ˈraspɛnava/; German: Raspenau) is a town in Liberec District in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,800 inhabitants.
The original German name Raspenau was derived from the personal name Raspe and meant "Raspe's floodplain". The Czech name was created by transliteration of the German one.[2]
Raspenava is located about 15km (09miles) north of Liberec, in a salient region of Frýdlant Hook. It lies mostly in the Frýdlant Hills. The southern part of the municipal territory extends into the Jizera Mountains and includes the highest point of Raspenava, located below the top of the Poledník mountain at 858m (2,815feet) above sea level. The Smědá River flows through the town.
Two thirds of the territory are situated in the Jizerské hory Protected Landscape Area. Half of the Czech part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site named Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe is situated in the southernmost part of the territory of Raspenava.
The first written mention of Raspenava is from 1343. The village was located on the left bank of the Smědá River, and there were several small hamlets on the right bank. Raspenava was originally an agricultural village, but its character began to change in the 16th century. In 1512, a hammer mill was built here, and later an ironworks and a lime factory were established.[3]
In 1962, the settlements were merged into the town of Raspenava.[3]
Raspenava is located on the railway lines heading from Liberec to Jindřichovice pod Smrkem and to Černousy, and is the starting point of a short line of local importance to Bílý Potok.[4]
The main landmark of Raspenava is the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It was built in the neo-Baroque style in 1906–1907.[5]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic. Raspenava is twinned with:[6]
Gryfów Śląski, Poland