Ralsko
Ralsko (German: Roll) is a town in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,100 inhabitants. Hradčany Air Base is located nearby.
Ralsko | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Town hall | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Ralsko Location in the Czech Republic | |
| Coordinates: 50°36′45″N 14°47′27″E | |
| Country |  Czech Republic |
| Region | Liberec |
| District | Česká Lípa |
| First mentioned | 1279 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Miloslav Tůma |
| Area | |
| • Total | 170.23 km2 (65.73 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 331 m (1,086 ft) |
| Population (2020-01-01[1]) | |
| • Total | 2,137 |
| • Density | 13/km2 (33/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 471 24 |
| Website | mestoralsko |
Administrative parts
The town is made up of town parts and villages of Boreček, Horní Krupá, Hradčany, Hvězdov, Jabloneček, Kuřivody, Náhlov, Ploužnice and Svébořice.
History
Military Area Ralsko
The Ralsko Mountain and the airfield were used as a military weapons-testing area for decades. Most of the little villages in this restricted area were destroyed. After the Prague Spring of 1968, the installation was manned by Soviet Troops. In the late 1980s the Soviet 442nd Missile Brigade stationed SS-21 short-range tactical missiles at Hvězdov. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990–91 the missiles were withdrawn and the entire weapons-testing area was closed off. Many of the discarded Czech and Soviet munitions were collected and are now on display at a little museum in Kuřívody. Only recently is the area open as a natural preserve.[2]
Trivia
Because of its large area of the former military area, the town is the 4th largest municipality of the Czech Republic, after the cities of Prague, Brno and Ostrava.
References
- "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2020". Czech Statistical Office. 2020-04-30.
- Janota Jiří: Vývoj lesního hospodaření v bývalém vojenském prostoru Ralsko, (Development of forest management in the former military area Ralsko).
