Krásno (Sokolov District)

Krásno (Schönfeld) is a town in Sokolov District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 700 inhabitants. It is historically associated with tin mining.

Geography
Krásno is located about 11 km southeast of Sokolov and 15 km southwest of Karlovy Vary. It lies in the Slavkov Forest. The highest point is the hill Špičák at 829 m above sea level. The Teplá River briefly crosses the eastern part of the municipal territory.

History
The first written mention of Krásno is in a book of Bartholomaeus Anglicus from 1241. In 1355, the village was promoted to a market town and obtained mining privileges. Tin mines were located in the area. In 1529, Krásno became a town and in 1547, it was promoted to a royal mining town by Emperor Ferdinand I. At the end of the 16th century, tin production declined and although it was renewed several times, it ended in the 19th century. Instead, porcelain production developed in the town. The large 1848 fire destroyed most of the town, including many monuments.

After World War II, the German population was expelled and Krásno ceased to be a town. Population decline and the declaration of a military area in the Slavkov Forest led to the degradation of the municipality. In the 20th century, tin, tungsten and uranium ores and feldspars were mined here. In 2007, the town status was restored.

Transport
The I/20 road (part of the European route E49) from Plzeň to Karlovy Vary passes through the eastern part of the municipal territory.

The railway line from Karlovy Vary to Mariánské Lázně also briefly crosses the eastern part of the territory. Krásno is served by the train stations in neighbouring Bečov nad Teplou.

Sights
The town hall was built in the Neoclassical style in 1852, on the foundations of a Renaissance house from 1601. It has a Gothic portal from the first half of the 16th century.

The second landmark of the centre of Krásno is the Church of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. It was built in the neo-Romanesque style in 1858–1859. It replaced an old medieval church, destroyed by the 1848 fire. Near the church is a separate bell tower. It consists of a brick Renaissance foundation from the 16th century and a newer wooden floor.

A cultural monument is a stone observation tower on a hill above the town. It was built in 1933–1935 and was inspired by oriental buildings, especially the Tower of Babel. It is 25 m high and has a spiral staircase outside the building.

The most important monument, protected as a national cultural monument, is the artificial water channel called Dlouhá stoka. It leads from Krásno to Lázně Kynžvart. It was built in 1531–1536 and was used to supply water to mines and to float timber. It is an important landscape feature that is a testament to the glorious era of tin mining in the area. Another notable tin mining monument is the Vilém mine complex. It was built in 1915 and most of the technology from that time has been preserved. Today there is a mining museum.

Notable people

 * Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer (c. 1656–1746), German composer
 * Joseph Labitzky (1802–1881), composer

Twin towns – sister cities
Krásno is twinned with:
 * 🇩🇪 Bischofsgrün, Germany