Lobendava

Lobendava (Lobendau) is a municipality and village in Děčín District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 300 inhabitants. It is the northernmost municipality of the country.

Administrative parts
The village of Severní is an administrative part of Lobendava.

Etymology
The initial name of the settlement was Lobodov. The name was derived from the Slavic surname Loboda, meaning "Loboda's (court)". The name was then distorted to Lobdov, and during the Germanization of the region, the village received the German name Lobedau. Another distortion evolved the name to Lobendau, from which the Czech name Lobendava was derived.

Geography
Lobendava is located about 28 km north of Děčín and 44 km northeast of Ústí nad Labem. It lies in the Šluknov Hook area on the border with Germany and is adjacent to the German municipality Neustadt in Sachsen. Lobendava lies in the Lusatian Highlands. The highest point is the hill Buková hora at 512 m above sea level.

Lobendava is the northernmost municipality in the Czech Republic. The northernmost point is situated in the area of Severní, at 51.05556°N, 14.31611°W.

History
The first written mention of Lobendava is from 1449. According to the municipal chronicle, it was founded at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, according to regional historians it could be founded already around 1084. The village was located on the historic Imperial route from Prague to Dresden.

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

Sights
The main landmark of Lobendava is the Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary. It was built in the Baroque style in 1709–1712. Next to the church is a Baroque rectory dating from 1767.

On Annaberg hill is located the Chapel of Saint Anne. It is a Baroque pilgrimage chapel, built in 1775–1777. The Stations of the Cross lead to the chapel.

Notable people

 * Anton Drasche (1826–1904), Austrian physician