Harrachov

Harrachov
Town
Museum of glass and chapel in Harrachov
Coat of arms
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Liberec
District	Semily
Commune	Tanvald
Elevation	665 m (2,182 ft)
Coordinates	50°46′23″N 15°25′44″E
Area	36.63 km2 (14.14 sq mi)
Population	1,696
Density	46 / km2 (119 / sq mi)
Founded	17th century
Mayor	Tomáš Ploc
Timezone	CET (UTC+1)
- summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	512 46
Location in the Czech Republic
Wikimedia Commons: Harrachov
Website: www.harrachov.cz www.harrachov.com/en

Harrachov (Czech pronunciation: [ˈɦaraxof]; German: Harrachsdorf) is a town on the Mumlava river in the northern Czech Republic, 300 m from the border with Poland. It is within the Krkonoše mountain range, about 700 metres (2,300 ft) above sea level.

History

The first written reference dates back to the 17th century, when German-speaking settlers founded a village Dörfel there. In 1714 it was renamed Harrachsdorf after a local noble landowner, Count Harrach. Since the end of 19th century Harrachsdorf has been known for its glassworks production, textile industry, and mining. At the beginning of the 20th century, industrial production was bolstered by the construction of a railway line between Bohemian Tannwald (Tanvald) and Silesian Hirschberg (Jelenia Góra). The fact that the nearest stop, Strickerhäuser (after 1945 Tkacze, after 1959 Mýtiny), was on the other side of the Austro-Hungarian border in German Silesia was not a major obstacle at that time.

After the Second World War, Silesia was acquired by Poland and the border was closed. Trains from Tanvald had to terminate in Kořenov, trains from Jelenia Góra were terminated in Jakuszyce (former Jakobsthal), on the northern side of the Novosvětský pass.

In 1947 there were 1,553 people living in Harrachov.

Instead of opening the border, the communist governments of Czechoslovakia and Poland arranged a territorial exchange. In 1959, Czechoslovakia acquired the area around Mýtiny, that allowed it to extend the cog railway Tanvald-Kořenov to the outskirts of Harrachov, Poland was compensated by land to the north from Mrtvý vrch. Harrachov, joined by the originally independent settlements Nový Svět and Rýžoviště, became a town in 1973.

Today

Harrachov is one of the most important Czech centres of mountain hiking and skiing; several winter sport events take place in Harrachov regularly. The whole region is of increasing importance for alpine tourism in Central Europe. Located near the Elbe river's source in the Krkonoše, it is known for its internationally used ski jumping facilities.

The international road E65 (from Prague to Poland) goes through the town. There is a border crossing between Harrachov and Poland at Jakuszyce.

External links

• Official website
• Map depicting the territory exchange between Czechoslovakia and Poland
• Map railway
• Official Tourists portal of Harrachov town