Rumburk (German: Rumburg) is a historic town of about 10,800
inhabitants in the Děčín District of the Ústí nad Labem Region in
northern Czechia. It sits in the Šluknov Hook (Šluknovský výběžek),
a narrow salient of Czech territory protruding into Germany and
Poland, right on the German border. Locals and visitors sometimes
call it the “Little Paris of the North” because of its elegant
early-20th-century atmosphere, lively cultural scene, and Baroque
splendour.
The town lies in the Lusatian Highlands at an average
elevation of 387 m, with the Mandau (Mandava) River flowing through
its centre. Its total area is 24.72 km². The highest point is the
hill Dymník (515 m), crowned by a brick lookout tower that offers
sweeping views over the surrounding hills, forests, and the German
town of Seifhennersdorf just across the border.
Rumburk’s historic centre is charming and walkable. The main square
(Lužické náměstí) features colourful Baroque and historicist houses,
arcades, and a tall plague column with statues of saints.
The
absolute highlight is the Loreta Rumburk (1704–1707), a Baroque copy of
the Italian Santa Casa in Loreto. Designed by Johann Lukas von
Hildebrandt and financed by Prince Anton Florian of Liechtenstein, it is
the northernmost Loreto sanctuary in the world. The façade is covered in
sandstone reliefs and statues of sibyls and prophets; inside is a
revered Black Madonna. A cloister with ceiling frescoes of the Virgin
Mary’s life surrounds it, plus four corner chapels and the restored Holy
Steps chapel (1768–70). It was a major pilgrimage site for centuries and
remains one today.
Other gems include:
The Renaissance-Baroque
castle (now used for cultural events)
Church of Saint Bartholomew
(oldest mention 1352, current Baroque form 1755)
Former Capuchin
monastery and Church of Saint Lawrence (1683–85; monastery now houses
the regional museum and library)
Protected Šmilovského ulička – a row
of 18 half-timbered “podstávkové” houses (village monument reservation)
Dům kultury Střelnice (House of Culture) and the town museum
(exhibitions on local sandstone quarries and historic violin makers run
through 2026)
Visiting Today
The town is quiet yet lively,
with regular markets on Lužické náměstí, classical concerts, and
exhibitions at the museum (e.g., “My Quarries – Sandstone Landscape” and
“Historic Musical Instruments – Rumburk Violin Makers” both running into
2026). It makes an excellent base for hiking in Bohemian Switzerland
National Park or cycling across the border. The official website
(www.rumburk.cz) lists current events, apartment rentals, and practical
info.
In short, Rumburk is a compact border gem that blends centuries
of Bohemian, German, and Saxon heritage with modern Czech life—perfect
for travellers who want authentic Central European history without the
crowds of Prague.
From the Middle Ages to the Thirty Years' War
On
the trade route from Meissen to Zittau and from Lusatia via Česká
Lípa to Central Bohemia, a border market settlement was established
at the end of the 12th century, which was the manor of Honštejn
Castle. The seat of the mani (small peasants) was the Rumburk
fortress. The names of these manna are known as the Options of
Naptice (as of 1363), Ota and Albert of Hrbic (1403) and others
until the end of the 15th century. In 1298, Rumburk is referred to
in historical literature as a town, but it was first mentioned in
writing in 1377. At that time, Henry the Younger of Rumburk was
mentioned among witnesses in the Latin deed of the town council in
Görlitz as "Heinricus de Romberch iunior". Other traces of the
existence of Rumburk as the estate of the lords of the Ronovec
family from the 14th century can be found in the books of the town
of Görlitz, where the names are given: Peter von Ronenberch (1305),
Tilo von Ronenberg and Conradus von Ronnenberch.
Due to its
commercial and strategic importance, the Hussites attacked the city
on the Czech-German border. Therefore, in 1423, Hynek Berka of Dubá,
the holder of Rumburk and the castles of Honštejn and Vildštejn,
asked the Lusatian towns for military assistance to defend Rumburk,
which actually came and numbered 400 men. Nevertheless, in 1429, the
Hussites occupied Rumburk and undertook raids into Catholic Lusatia.
In 1435 the Berks sold Rumburk and Honštejn to the Saxon princes,
but in 1451 they regained it. The local mansion came under the
supreme right of Tolštejn Castle. In 1478, the Rumburk and Tolštejn
man Kryštof of Heřmanice sold Rumburk to Hugolt of Šlejnice, who in
1481 bought the entire Tolštejn estate for him.
In 1475 the
core of the town consisted of 22 houses. In the same year, there
were 3 mills, 13 farmers, 150 occupied and 60 unoccupied rods in the
village of Horní Jindřichov. In 1496, Prokop Thamme was a priest in
the local parish. After his death - in 1503 - Petr Molitor was
appointed another local priest. Between 1532 and 1565, the entire
estate was held by George of Šlejnice, who moved his seat to
Rumburk, where he built a Renaissance chateau. He died on September
27, 1565 and was buried in Rumburk near the church of St.
Bartholomew. The Šlejnice family became indebted to the extensive
economic business and the construction of the chateau. In 1607 the
manor was bought by the Kinští of Vchynice. Vilém Kinský was
assassinated in Cheb in 1634 together with Albrecht of Wallenstein
and his confiscated property was acquired by Kryštof Löbl from
Krainburg (Grönburg). Shortly afterwards, he bought the Leutersdorf
and Varnsdorf estates to Rumburk. During the Thirty Years' War in
1642, the castle in Rumburk was attacked and set on fire by the
Swedish army. In 1656, the estate was acquired by Count František
Eusebius of Pötting by marrying Maria Markéta Löblová. Among other
things, he founded the Rumburk loreta.
Rumburk appeared on
the map in 1569. Later, around 1566, a suburb called "Neusorge" was
to be built. From 1573, the first mention of the Rumburk school is
when Petrus Zebiller was a teacher. The town shatlava dated to this
time was to be located in the current Vrchlického street. Just
before the Thirty Years' War - in 1626 - the plague hit the town.
The gallows allegedly stood around house 75 in Jiříkovská
Street.
The owners of Rumburk were:
1281–1471 - Berks of
Duba
1471–1586 - Slats
1586–1594 - The Strehlitzs
1607–1634
- Kinští
1634–1656 - Löbls of Krainburg (from Greinburg)
1656–1681 - Pöttings
1681–1848 - The Liechtensteins
The
post-White Mountain period
In 1681 the manor was bought from the
Pöttings by the Liechtensteins, who remained in his possession until
the second land reform in 1923. In 1724 the castle was hit by a
second fire, after which the Liechtensteins immediately began its
Baroque reconstruction, completed in 1726, including a multi-storey
gate covered with a hipped roof.
The plague column dates from
1681. In 1706, the settlement of Antonínovo údolí grew up, later
affiliated with Rumburk. In 1764, another settlement was built,
later associated with Rumburk-Podhájí. In 1850 a district court was
established in Rumburk. Since 1881, the cemetery has been located on
the site of the Friendship Park.
Rumburk was called "Little
Paris" for its magnificence. The town post office moved to its
current location in 1904.
In 1910, the Rumburk-Varnsdorf bus
line was introduced.
First World War
The men from Rumburk
mostly joined the 42nd Infantry Regiment in Terezín. 4000 men were
abducted, while at the end of the war 3698 returned, of which 302
fell or were declared missing. A year after the outbreak of war -
May 25, 1915 - the 7th Rifle Regiment from Pilsen was transferred to
Rumburk, in which the crew was not only from Pilsen, but also from
Rokycany, Rakovník and Domažlice. With this regiment, 1,200 men got
to Rumburk. The crew was stationed at a boys' school.
Rumburk
uprising
The Rumburk uprising was a response to insufficient and poor
supplies, unpaid jokes and bullying by German officers. It broke out
at six o'clock in the morning on Tuesday, May 21, 1918, and on the
same day, shortly after nine o'clock in the evening, it was
suppressed under Chotovický vrch near Nový Bor. The insurgents were
executed in Rumburk and Nový Bor. The three initiators and leaders
of the uprising, Stanko Vodička, František Xaver Noha and Vojtěch
Kovář, were sentenced to death by a court martial and shot on May
29, 1918 in the early morning hours.
The martial court sat in
Rumburk in the former castle and in Nový Bor, and sentenced to death
seven other leaders of the uprising, who were also executed by
shooting on the evening of May 29. Another fourteen death row
inmates were eventually "commuted" to many years in prison. Of the
more than 580 accused rebels, 116 were sent to the front as
punishment and the rest were imprisoned in the Terezín fortress. In
2008, celebrations were held in Rumburk to mark the 90th anniversary
of the Rumburk Uprising. The film A Star Called Wormwood was made on
the theme of the uprising. Before the execution of the evangelical
pastor Georg Döll, Stanko Vodička asked him to hand over a farewell
letter and his cricket to his family. He is now buried in the Pilsen
cemetery in Doubravka on the right side of the road from the
cemetery gate to the church. In 1951, a statue of Unconquered by
Vendelín Zrůbecký was installed in the city park in memory of the
insurgents.
Rumburk is one of the northernmost towns in Bohemia. It borders Germany directly; there are road crossings to Seifhennersdorf and (by rail) to Ebersbach. The landscape is rolling hills, sandstone formations, and mixed forests—part of the broader Bohemian Switzerland tourist region. The climate is temperate with cold winters (record low –22.2 °C) and warm summers (record high 33.7 °C). The town is drained by the Mandau (to the Baltic Sea) in the south and by streams feeding the Spree (North Sea) in the north. Small ponds and a recreational lake (Rybník Racek) dot the outskirts.
Population peaked at over 16,000 just before World War I, dropped
sharply after the 1945 expulsions, and has stabilised around 10,800
today:
2024 estimate: 10,815 (density 437.5/km²)
2021 census:
10,381
1910: 16,397 (historic high)
The three municipal parts
are Rumburk 1 (main town), Rumburk 2-Horní Jindřichov, and Rumburk
3-Dolní Křečany. The population is predominantly Czech; small minorities
include Slovaks and Ukrainians. In the 2011 census, roughly half
declared no religious affiliation, with Roman Catholics forming the
largest group.
Historically a textile centre (famous for “Rumburk cloth” and
violin-making), the town suffered after 1989 but has revived. The
largest employer is Benteler Automotive Rumburk (automotive components,
500+ staff). Other sectors include light industry, retail (Lidl, Penny,
Tesco), healthcare (local hospital and sanatorium), and
tourism/services.
Transport links are good for a border town: three
railway lines (to Děčín via two routes and the long-distance line toward
Kolín), buses, and direct road crossings into Germany. A new parking lot
is planned near the former Marx cinema (as of 2026).