à ½elezná Ruda (; ) is a town in Klatovy District in the Plzeà  Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,600 inhabitants. It is one of the important sports and tourist centres of the Bohemian Forest.
à ½elezná Ruda consists of five municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):
The Czech name à ½elezná Ruda and the historic German name Eisenstein means 'iron ore'. It refers to rich deposits of iron ore that were found and mined here.
à ½elezná Ruda is located about south of Klatovy and south of Plzeà Â, on the border with Germany. It lies in a wild mountainous terrain of the Bohemian Forest. The town is surrounded with thick coniferous woods. The highest mountain in the municipal territory is Jezernàhora with an elevation of . The southeastern part of the territory lies in the à  umava National Park, rest of the territory belongs to the à  umava Protected Landscape Area.
The Regen River springs on the southern slopes of PancÃÂÃ Â mountain and flows through the town proper to the German border. The ÃÂhlava River springs on the western slopes of the same mountain and flows across the northern half of the municipal territory.
ÃÂerné jezero, the largest natural lake in the country and ÃÂertovo jezero, the third largest lake, are located in the territory of à ½elezná Ruda.
à ½elezná Ruda was founded at the beginning of the 16th century as a mining town. After around 150 years, the iron ore stocks were extracted and iron production ended. Because quartz and limestone deposits were also located here, the town's industry reoriented to the glass industry. The first factory was built in 1624. The Alà ¾bÃÂtÃÂn Glassworks was later one of the largest glassworks in the Bohemian Forest. In the second half of the 19th century, it was known mainly for plate glass.
In 1874âÂÂ1877, the railway was built.
Its German population was expelled after 1945.
The local economy is very dependent on tourism because à ½elezná Ruda is one of the most popular skiing centres of the Bohemian Forest, as well as a starting point for many hiking trips. The town has also gained a reputation as a hotspot for prostitution shortly after the Velvet Revolution.
à ½elezná Ruda is located on the railway line from Prague via Plzeà  and Klatovy, which ends here. The territory is served by five train stations and stops: à ½elezná Ruda centrum, à ½elezná Ruda mÃÂsto, à ½elezná Ruda-Alà ¾bÃÂtÃÂn, à  piÃÂák and Hojsova StrÃ¡à ¾-BrÃÂálnÃÂk. The station building of à ½elezná Ruda-Alà ¾bÃÂtÃÂn/Bayerisch Eisenstein is divided by the national border between the Czech Republic and Germany.
A railway tunnel goes under the à  piÃÂák mountain. The tunnel was built in 1874âÂÂ1877 and is long. It was the longest railway tunnel in the Czech Republic until 2007 and since 2018 it has been the third longest railway tunnel in the country.
There are many nature sights, such as lakes ÃÂerné jezero and ÃÂertovo jezero, and the à  piÃÂák mountain at above sea level.
The most valuable historical monument is the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help of the Star. It was built in the Baroque style in 1729âÂÂ1732. Its peculiarity is the floor plan of the six-pointed star and two cupolas with a star. Other historical sights include the Chapel of Saints Anthony of Padua and Barbara, and the Stations of the Cross.
The local museum and information centre are located in a house from 1877, which was once the home of a well-known family of glassmakers. There is an exhibition of traditional glass, documents and photographs concerning history available all year round.
à ½elezná Ruda is twinned with: