Consisting of 11 joint villages, the town of Krupka spreads across the south- western hillsides of the Ore Mountains at the altitude around 340 m. The old tin mining settlements emerged in the economic sense in the l2th and l3th centuries. Krupka is said to have been Central Europe's first finding-place of tin. The oldest hint discovered by now is in the writings on the missionary travels of Constantinus and Methodius who also crossed the territory of Krupka. The golden times that started with tin mining carried on throughout the l3th and l4th centuries. Tin ore was washed out at first and later excavated from layers lying deeper underground. Excavation work was first reported in 1297 when the the Krupka Hill was granted to the Convent of Zbraslav by King Wenceslas II. The modest settlement soon grew up into a town which received a coat-of-arms with important freedoms from Vladislav II on January 13, 1478. The mining privilege was accompanied by the development of crafts and various guilds. The name- Krupka-derives from "krupý" which meant "big" in Czech while the German "Graupen" was a translation. Inhabited by the Slaves at first, Krupka embraced new settlers who came attracted by the the mining, most of them from the German lands. The city was ruled by the Koldic Family at that time. The Koldics built the Rosenburg Castle above the town, noted down in writ ing in 1330 for the first time. At about the same time, another castle -Kyšperk nad Unčínem-was erected to provide effective defence against the Saxons. Krupka suffered heavy damage during the Hussite Wars. Flowing through the country after the lost battle of Běháň, the retreating armies burnt down Krupka's church and monastery in 1426, leaving the castle undamaged. The next fire during the 1429 attack against Dresden destryed town and castle. The l5th century brought in fast economic recovery and the Koldics added new privileges, like beer tapping, beer brewing, fairs, and the privilege to use seal and coat-of-arms, which were confirmed by King Vladislav II in 1478. The l7th cen tury saw mining on the way down, sales were shrinking, and the ThirtyYear War added more desolating impacts. Cruising the country, foreign troops plundered, raped, stole and burnt down. Plague, hunger and war sufferings decimated the population. In the l9th century, first brown coal mines emerged around Krupka and industry came in. The industrial age revived social life, too. The town survived two world wars and a period of totalitarian rule down to the breakthrough of 1989 which changed the lives of Krupka's population. Modern Krupka's centre is Our Lady's Square with the historic Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows. The original, probably wooden chapel was built in 1426, but the present basilica was designed by architect G. Broggio, who let himself inspire by Rome's church Il Gesu di Vignolo, in 1701. The 1679 Jesuit-founded Episcopal Grammar School is integral part of the basilica. This building went through a painful history, especially in the post-war period after the handover to the Czechoslovak Army and, even worse, after the 1968 take-over by the Soviet Army who made the devastation complete. The building went back to the church in 1994 and the school was restored to life again to follow the 300 years old tradition, mainly thanks to Father Josef Cukr. The Episcopal Grammar School was restored to a regional centre of education and culture once again. Another historical centrepoint is the Husitská Street which spreads into the central square with the Town Hall and the Town Museum which shows interesting exhibitions of the tin mining history, flora and fauna of the Ore Mountains, and the remarkable exhibition devoted to the local fire brigade with several functional pieces of old technical equipment. Presiding over the street are the mighty walls of the Krupka castle. Komáří vížka (Moskito Tower) offers a technical rarity-Czechia's longest and oldest funicular with no intermediate stop. From here, you can have a pleasant walk or ride on a bike to the border crossing of Fojtovice-Fürstenau not far from the German towns of Geising and Altenberg. The hillsides of the Ore Mountains offer optimum terrain for walking tours, biking and winter sports, including dog-driven sledge rides, hang-gliding and para-gliding.

The Hussite Street and the square

A fresco - ambits of Our Lady of Sorrows' Basilica

The Our Lady of Sorrows' Basilica