Špindlerův Mlýn

Špindlerův Mlýn
Town
Town centre
Coat of arms
Country Czech Republic
Region Hradec Králové
District Trutnov
Commune Vrchlabí
River Elbe
Elevation 718 m (2,356 ft)
Coordinates 50°43′31″N 15°36′30″E / 50.72528°N 15.60833°E / 50.72528; 15.60833Coordinates: 50°43′31″N 15°36′30″E / 50.72528°N 15.60833°E / 50.72528; 15.60833
Area 76.9 km2 (29.7 sq mi)
Population 1,393 (2006-10-02)
Density 18/km2 (47/sq mi)
Mayor Bohumír Zeman (ODS)
Timezone CET (UTC+1)
 - summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 543 51
Location in the Czech Republic
Wikimedia Commons: Špindlerův Mlýn
Statistics: statnisprava.cz
Website: www.mestospindleruvmlyn.cz

Špindlerův Mlýn (Czech pronunciation: [ˈʃpɪndlɛruːv ˈmliːn]; German: Spindlermühle, formerly also Spindelmühle) is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. Located in the Krkonoše (Giant Mountains) range, it is one of the most frequented mountain and ski resorts in the country.

Geography

Bílý most (White Bridge) from 1911

Špindlerův Mlýn is in the north of the historic Bohemia region near the border with Poland. Situated on the southern slopes of the Kozí hřbety, part of the Krkonoše Bohemian Ridge, at an altitude of 715 m (2,346 ft) to 1,310 m (4,300 ft) a.s.l., it is protected on all sides by the mountain peaks of Kozí hřbety, Pláň and Mt. Medvědín. In the east rises Luční hora at 1,555 m (5,102 ft), the second highest mountain of the Czech Republic.

Špindlerův Mlýn lies on the confluence of the river Labe (Elbe) and the Dolský potok (Dolský creek). The Elbe source is located northwest of the town, near the Polish border and Mt. Vysoké Kolo at an altitude of 1,386 m (4,547 ft). About 1 km downstream are the Labe Falls (Labský vodopád) which cascade about 40 m (130 ft) in depth. A large dam was built in 1911–16 near Labská (Krausebauden).

The municipal area comprises the villages of Přední Labská, Labská, Bedřichov and Svatý Petr. Nowadays it has about 1,300 permanent inhabitants.

History

Spindelmühl about 1900

The settlement was first doumented in the early 16th century under the rule of King Louis II Jagiello. It received its name (which can be literally translated as Špindler's Mill) after a mill belonging to a Spindler family, where neighbours would meet.[1]

In the 18th century, large parts of the surrounding forests were a possession of the Habsburg minister Friedrich August von Harrach-Rohrau (1696–1749), after whom the village of Bedřichov (Friedrichsthal) is named. In 1793 the local miners and lumbermen were given permission by Emperor Francis II to build the parish church of Svatý Petr (St Peter). After World War II the remaining German-speaking population was expelled according to the Beneš decrees.

Tourism

Špindlerův Mlýn developed as a resort town from the mid 19th century onwards. Franz Kafka stayed here for recreation in January/February 1922 and began writing of one of his most famous works, The Castle (Das Schloss).

With year-round use and with accommodation capacity of 10,000 beds, Špindlerův Mlýn is one of the most visited ski resorts in the Czech Republic, and has 20 runs, the most of all resorts in the country.[2] During the winter season the area hosts the Europacup in freestyle skiing and SnowJam, a professional snowboarding event. In the surroundings there are many marked hiking, mountain biking and cross-country skiing trails. Wildwater canoeing is also common on the Labe river.

Twin towns

Špindlerův Mlýn is twinned with:

See also

References

  1. ↑ Palátková, Dáša; Richter, Josef (2003-12-31), "Špindlerův mlýn 1793–2003" (PDF), Krkonoše, Jizerské hory, Správa Krkonošského národního parku, 36 (7): 45, archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-18
  2. ↑ ranking at Skiinfo.com
  3. ↑ "Informace o obci". Podgórzyn official website (in Polish). Retrieved 17 March 2017.
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