The town of Rtyně v Podkrkonoší finds itself in a mountain-bound valley. The crest of the Jestřebí Hory stan.ds guard to the north. The valley rises into a beautiful panorama of Czechia's highest mountains-the Giant Mountains (the Krkonoše). 1367 is the year Rtyně v Podkrkonoší was mentioned in writing for the first time, as one of the biggest villages of the neighbourhood. Its present name dates back to 1931 and it was raised to town in 1978. The coat-of-arms and flag are much younger-1995. The crucial turning point in the life style and way of living was the l6th-century discovery of bituminous coal. But the four centuries of coal mining that followed are now nothing more than a memory which materialises in the Town Museum's permanent exhibition of mining. Local dominants are the 1554 ancient wooden bell-tower and the St John the Baptist's Church. Matthias Braun's statue of David is another high-value local sight. The open-air theatre hosts the annual brass band music festival called "Kolet's Rtyně". Today, Rtyně v Podkrkonoší has a population of no more than 3,000. The place is the visitor's logical basis for trips to the close Giant Mountains, the adjacent village of Ratibořice, or the not far away rocks of Adršpašsko-Teplické Skály. The list of only slightly more distant places includes the artificial lake of Rozkoš; Hronov, the birthplace of Alois Jirásek, author of historical novels; Malé Svatoňovice with the Museum of the Čapek brothers; the Safari Park at Dvůr Králové; the fortress at Josefov; etc.

The wooden bell-tower of 1544

View of the town from the north