F-425 Vrchlabí

The first written mention of the W(e)rchlab settlement on the upper reaches of the Elbe dates from 1359. Vrchlabí experienced its greatest prosperity under the ownership of the mine expert and royal councillor Christoph von Gendorf, when it became a significant centre of metallurgy in the Czech lands. The next wave of prosperity came with flax processing in the 18th century. The events before and after the Second World War halted the development of Vrchlabí until 1989. Then, the town known as the “Gateway to the Giant Mountains” became one of the most important hiking intersections in Bohemia.