Špindlerův Mlýn

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

Špindlerův Mlýn
Town
Town centre
Coat of arms
Špindlerův Mlýn
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°43′31″N 15°36′30″E
CountryCzech Republic
RegionHradec Králové
DistrictTrutnov
Government
 • MayorVladimír Staruch
Area
 • Total76.9 km2 (29.7 sq mi)
Elevation
718 m (2,356 ft)
Population
 (2019)
 • Total1,119[1]
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
543 51
Websitemestospindleruvmlyn.cz

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 documented 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.[2]

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.[3] During the winter season the area hosts the Europacup in freestyle skiing and SnowJam, a professional snowboarding event. Some years, e.g. 2019, the Alpine Ski World Cup has been held here. 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. "Počet Obyvatel v Obcích - Population of Municipalities" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. p. 70. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  2. Palátková, Dáša; Richter, Josef (31 December 2003). "Špindlerův mlýn 1793–2003" (PDF). Krkonoše, Jizerské hory. Správa Krkonošského národního parku. p. 45. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2011.
  3. ranking at Skiinfo.com
  4. "Informace o obci". Podgórzyn official website (in Polish). Retrieved 17 March 2017.
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