Stráž pod Ralskem

Stráž pod Ralskem (until 1946 Vartenberk; Wartenberg (am Rollberg)) is a town in Česká Lípa District in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,800 inhabitants.

Etymology
The local castle was called Wartenberg (Warte auf Berge meant "guard on the hill" in German). Vartenberk was the Czech transcription of the name. The modern Czech name of the town Stráž means 'guard'; pod Ralskem refers to its location below Ralsko Mountain.

Geography
Stráž pod Ralskem is located about 18 km east of Česká Lípa and 18 km southwest of Liberec. It lies in the Ralsko Uplands. The highest point is a nameless hill at 407 m above sea level (the mountain of Ralsko is located outside the municipal territory).

The Ploučnice River flows through the town. The town lies on the shores of Stráž pod Ralskem Reservoir. It was built in 1911–1913 and is one of the oldest reservoirs in the country. The reservoir has an area of 75.5 ha and is used for fish farming and water sports. There are also several fishponds around the town.

History
The first written mention is from 1283, when a castle was built here. The castle and the settlement were called Wartenberg and their owners became known as the Wartenberg family. In 1504, the Wartenberg family sold the estate to Bartholomew Hirschpergar, who rebuilt the medieval Gothic castle into a comfortable aristocratic residence.

At the end of the 19th century, tourism began to develop and Stráž pod Ralskem turned into a resort. In 1963, uranium ore was found and tourism has partly given way to industrialization. The uranium ore mining ended in 1996.

Economy
Stráž pod Ralskem is known for its jailhouse. It was created in 1973 from the original hostels that were used for uranium mine workers. It employs around 300 people.

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

Sights
The Church of Saint Sigismund was built in the late Baroque style in 1772–1779. It was built on the site of an old medieval church, first documented in 1363.

The Vartenberk Castle was rebuilt into its present Renaissance form in 1563. After it was damaged by a fire in 1987, it was reconstructed in 2006.

Notable people

 * Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644–1704), Czech-Austrian composer
 * Anton von Jaksch (1810–1887), Czech-Austrian physician, rector of Charles University