Železná Ruda


Železná Ruda is a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,600 inhabitants. It is located in the Šumava Mountains, close to the border with Bavaria and the German town Bayerisch Eisenstein. It is one of the important sports and tourism centres of the Šumava Mountains.

History

Železná Ruda was founded at the beginning of the 16th century. The German name of the town comes from The Middle Ages, when it was a market town. Its German population was expelled after 1945.

Geography and climate

Železná Ruda, lying in a wild mountainous terrain at an elevation between, is surrounded with thick coniferous woods. Its climate is cool and wet humid continental hemiboreal with moderately cold, long winters and cool summers. Average July temperature is and average January temperature is. Yearly average is and there is some 967 mm of precipitation.

Sights

Natural

The town is surrounded by forests and green mountains. There are many popular tourist sites, such as the lakes Černé jezero and Čertovo jezero and Špičák peak.

Historical

Historical sites include the Church of Panna Maria Pomocná z Hvězdy, the Chapel of St. Barbora and the Way of the Cross. The local museum and information centre are located in a house, which was the home to a well-known family of glassmakers in the past. There is an exhibition of traditional glass, documents and photographs concerning history available all year round.

Technical

The train tunnel goes under Špičák peak. The tunnel is long and it was the longest railway tunnel in the Czech Republic until 2007.

Economy

The local economy is very dependent on tourism because Železná Ruda is one of the most popular skiing centres of Šumava, as well as a starting point for many hiking trips on both sides of the border. The town has also gained a reputation as a hotspot for prostitution since the Velvet Revolution.

Transport

The town is located on a train line leading from Plzeň and Klatovy to the border station at Bayerisch Eisenstein. This station building is divided by the national border between the Czech Republic and Germany.

Twin towns – sister cities

Železná Ruda is twinned with: