Chuchelna

Chuchelna is a municipality and village in Semily District in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,000 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The villages of Komárov and Lhota are administrative parts of Chuchelna.

Etymology
The name was derived from the adjective chuchelný. The word chuchel denoted a small piece of oakum.

Geography
Chuchelna is located west of Semily, directly bordering with it, and about 23 km southeast of Liberec. It lies on the border between the Giant Mountains Foothills and Ještěd–Kozákov Ridge. The highest point is the Kozákov mountain at 744 m above sea level, located in the western part of the municipal territory. The mountain is known for the finds of olivines and gemstones. The Jizera River briefly forms the northern municipal border. In the area of Kozákov, Chuchelna marginally extends into the Bohemian Paradise Protected Landscape Area.

History
The first written mention of Chuchelna is from 1410. It belonged to the Rotštejn and Hrubá Skála estates, and from the 17th century to the Semily estate.

Transport
There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sport
There is a small ski resort on the eastern slopes of the Kozákov mountain. It has three ski slopes and a 500 m long lift. The peak of Kozákov is known as a starting point for paragliding.

Sights
Chuchelna is poor in historical monuments. The only protected cultural monuments are a sculptural group of Calvary from 1734 in the centre of Chuchelna and a sandstone cross from 1854 in Komárov.

On the Kozákov mountain is the Rieger's hut, built in 1928 and named in honour of František Ladislav Rieger, and a steel lookout tower.