Vrchlabà(; ) is a town in Trutnov District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 12,000 inhabitants. Vrchlabàlies on the Elbe River at the foot of the Giant Mountains and is known as a centre of tourism and winter sports. Industry in the town is represented by the à  koda Auto factory.
The main landmarks of VrchlabÃÂ are the VrchlabÃÂ Castle and Church of Saint Lawrence. The town centre with the castle complex, monastery complex and town park is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone.
VrchlabÃÂ consists of three municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):
The name of the town is closely related with the location on the Elbe River. The oldest name of VrchlabÃÂ is Latin Albipolis (Albi = 'Elbe', polis = 'city'). Both the Czech and German names can be translated as 'upper Elbe area'.
Vrchlabàis located about northwest of Trutnov and north of Hradec Králové. About half of the municipal territory lies in the Giant Mountains, and its northern part lies in the Krkonoà ¡e National Park. The seat of the administration of the national park is located in VrchlabÃÂ. The southern part of Vrchlabàlies in the Giant Mountains Foothills. The town is nicknamed the "Gateway to the Giant Mountains". The highest point is on the slopes of the mountain à ½alý with an altitude of , however both à ½alý's peaks lies behind the border of VrchlabÃÂ.
Vrchlabàis located on the upper course of the Elbe River. There are two small fishponds in the territory of VrchlabÃÂ. The larger one is Vejsplachy, used for recreational purposes. The pond Vrchlabský rybnÃÂk, named after the town, lies outside the municipal territory.
VrchlabÃÂ's climate is classified as humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb; Trewartha: Dcbo). Among them, the annual average temperature is , the hottest month in July is , and the coldest month is in January. The annual precipitation is , of which July is the wettest with , while April is the driest with only . The extreme temperature throughout the year ranged from on 3 February 2012 to on 7 August 2015.
The history of VrchlabÃÂ started with the colonization of the Giant Mountains. The first settlement called Wrchlab was probably founded before 1300. The first written mention is from 1359.
The most significant person in the history Vrchlabàwas Kryà ¡tof Gendorf, a mining expert who developed the town into one of the most important metallurgy centres. Thanks to him, Vrchlabàwas granted town rights in 1533, along with two annual fairs. Many people from German speaking lands came to work and live to the town during his rule and brought in the Lutheran reformation faith, which spread quickly in the region, supported vividly by Gendorf himself.
In 1561, the estate was acquired by Gendorf's daughter Eustachia. She had three daughters, Barbora, Kateà Âina and Rozina, among whom the Vrchlabàestate was divided after her death in 1568, but in the end the entire estate was acquired by Rozina and her husband Vilém Mià Âkovský of StropÃÂice. At that time, flax weaving became another important industry for VrchlabÃÂ. The weaving guild was founded in Vrchlabàin 1590, at the time of the town's greatest growth. Especially linen cloth was highly desired and it was exported to all over the world, including Italy, Spain, North Africa and overseas.
In 1624, Albrecht von Wallenstein bought the estate from Vilém Mià Âkovský of StropÃÂice Jr. During the Thirty Years' War, the smelters in Vrchlabàbecame an important supplier of weapons. After Wallenstein's death in 1634, Emperor Ferdinand II donated the estate to Rudolf of Morzin. The Counts of Morzin owned Vrchlabàuntil 1881.
VrchlabÃÂ was known for manufacturing of organs in the 17th and 18th centuries, which was introduced into the town by the Tauchmann family. Textile production dominated the town's economy from the late 18th century until the 1930s and determined the industrial and craft development of VrchlabÃÂ.
In 1867, winter sports started to develop in the region. The main promoter of skiing was Guido Rotter, a local factory owner.
The town was part of the Kingdom of Bohemia, which itself fell to the Habsburg monarchy in the 16th century, and from 1867 to 1918 was included in Austria-Hungary. Administratively it was head of the Hohenelbe District, one of the 94 Bezirkshauptmannschaften in Bohemia.
In 1918, Vrchlabàbecame part Czechoslovakia, when the Czechs regained independence. From 1938 to 1945 it was occupied by Germany, and was then administered as part of the Reichsgau Sudetenland. During the occupation, the Germans established and operated a Gestapo prison in the town, and a subcamp of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp for female prisoners in the Hoà Âejà ¡Ã Vrchlabàtown part. Nazi Germany also brought many Italian, French, English and Russian prisoners of war to work as forced laborers in the town. The town's Germans who had not fled in World War II were expelled according to the Potsdam Agreement and Beneà ¡ decrees. The town was restored to Czechoslovakia.
Since the 16th century, Vrchlabàis an industrial town. Nowadays, it is known especially for machinery industry. In Vrchlabàthere is one of three factories of à  koda Auto in the Czech Republic. The local branch employs about 1,000 people. From 1946 to 2012, it produced cars, and since 2015, it produces components for cars. The largest employer with its headquarters in the town is ARGO-HYTOS, producer of components and systems for the hydraulic industry.
VrchlabÃÂ is also known as centre of tourism and winter sports, which significantly contribute to the town's economy.
VrchlabÃÂ is the terminus of a railway line heading from Trutnov.
The beer festival Krkonoà ¡ské pivnàslavnosti ("Giant Mountains Beer Festival") has been held in the town every year since 1998.
The Stà Âelnice house is the centre of culture. It is a place where all concerts, plays or balls are performed.
Krakonoà ¡ova stovka is a 100 km-long march that has been held annually since 1966.
The local ice hockey club, HC Stadion VrchlabÃÂ, plays in the 2nd Czech Republic Hockey League since the 2022âÂÂ23 season.
The town has a rugby league club called VrchlabÃÂ Mad Squirrels.
There are four ski resorts in the area: KnÃÂà ¾ický Vrch, KnÃÂà ¾ický Vrch â Kebrlák, Bubákov, and HerlÃÂkovice.
The VrchlabàCastle was built in 1546âÂÂ1548 for Kryà ¡tof Gendorf and originally surrounded by the moat. It was one of the first Renaissance castles in Bohemia. The most valuable monument in the castle and the last piece of the original equipment is the Renaissance faience stove. Nowadays the castle houses the municipal office, and some of the spaces are freely accessible.
The castle is surrounded by a park from the second half of the 19th century. It was originally an ornamental garden, but after the moat was eliminated, the park was redesigned. In the southwestern part of the park is the castle chapel with the Czernin-Morzin tomb. It was built in the neo-Gothic style in 1887âÂÂ1890.
The monastery of the Discalced Augustinians order was founded in 1705. The monastery complex with the Church of Saint Augustinus was built in the Baroque style with Neoclassical elements and was finished in 1725. Nowadays the premises of the monastery house an exhibition of the Krkonoà ¡e Museum on the nature and history of the region, and the church is often used as a concert hall due to its great acoustics.
The Church of Saint Lawrence on the square NámÃÂstàMÃÂru was built in the neo-Gothic style in 1889. It replaced an old Gothic church from the 14th century. It has -high tower. Opposite the church is located a valuable set of four gabled houses where is located Krkonoà ¡e Museum and KRNAP infocentre. Next to them is one of the oldest monuments in the town, a house which served as the town hall from 1591 to 1737. Above the brick ground floor is the timbered floor supported by four sandstone columns with Ionian heads.
The second square in the historic centre is NámÃÂstàT. G. Masaryka. Its main landmark is the New Town Hall, built in 1732âÂÂ1737. It was originally built in the Baroque style as one of the first stone buildings in the town. In 1927, it was rebuilt to the neo-Renaissance style.
The very oldest house in VrchlabÃÂ is the House with Seven Gables. It is a modified village chalet with unique appearance.
VrchlabÃÂ is twinned with: