NOVÝ BOR

Nový Bor is known for three things - as a gateway to the Lusatian Mountains, as a city of glass and as a green city with many gardens.

As well as the favorable conditions for hiking, there is also a cycle track which doubles as a cross-country skiing track in winter and some downhill slopes. The surrounding natural attractions such as the cliff castle at Sloup, the unique organ rocks at Prácheň and the Mount Klíč nature reserve with its stone town are all well worth seeing.

MIKULÁŠOVICE

The town is situated in the western part of the Šluknov Downs at a height of 414m above sea level. Part of the town belongs to the Elbe Sandstone protected region.

The town's important cultural monuments include the Church of Saint Nicholas, which includes a stairway with statues of Saint John and the Immaculate by J. Wahner and two chapels (the Chapel of the Holy Trinity dating from 1741 and the dating from the 18th century. The town also has a number of pieces of wooden folk architecture, mainly folk structures with a base.

KAMENICKÝ ŠENOV

The town lies on the dividing line between the Lusatian Mountains and the Czech Inland Range, both of which are protected areas on the common border. The specialty of Kamenický Šenov is its extreme climate for which it has been called the "Czech Siberia". The climate is raw and harsh, but apparently healthy and the town is popular for recreational stays.

Kamenický Šenov is known throughout the world as a centre of glass production, especially that of chandeliers and cloudy glass.

DOKSY

The town of Doksy lies at a height of 266 m above sea level on the southern bank of Lake Mácha under the dominant landmark of the Bezděz castle (636 metres above sea level). The climate is moderately warm and dry as a result of the nearby pine forests, which surround the town in the northeast. The countryside in the southwest is more broken and it includes the castle ruins of Starý Bernštejn, Houska and Hrádek, which are all connected by walking trails. The local romantic countryside was much loved by the Czech poet K.H. Mácha who often spent his time there from 1832 to 1836. In 1961, the region was officially named the Mácha Region in his honor and the original Great Lake was renamed as Lake Mácha. Together with Staré Splavy, which lie on the northern edge of the lake, Doksy is part of a well known and much sought after recreational area.

SLOUP

The chateau was probably built at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. The rooms created from the cliff-face are characteristic for this chateau. After the Thirty Years War, the anchorites received the chateau as a gift and they expanded it. Thus came into being the secretive, dark rooms where the anchorites lived in seclusion, romantic gardens with elements of the Way of the Cross and a vineyard above the chateau chapel. Upon the order of Emperor Josef II, the anchorites had to leave the chateau in 1785. The chateau buildings have become a picturesque ruin with a maze of rooms and cells. Today, the chateau is open to the public.

BEZDĚZ

There is a well known romantic poem by Svatopluk Czech which mentions the castle in 1279, at which time Wenceslas II and his mother were held captive there. During the Hussite movement, the castle was used by Catholics. Their improvements to the castle helped it to keep them safe from enemy forces. When the castle came into the possession of the Wallenstein family, it was converted into a monastery and a place of pilgrimage. In the 19th century, the monastery was closed and the building became a romantic ruin. It became the inspiration for many Czech artists, amongst whom the best known is Karel Hynek Mácha. The castle is open to the public.

STRÁŽ POD RALSKEM

Today, Stráž is a popular place for recreation, sport and entertainment, thanks to the interesting opportunities, which it offers and its beautiful surroundings with a number of nature reserves.

The town's preserved monuments include the renaissance chateau and surroundings, the renaissance church, which has been renovated in the baroque style, and the Marian pillar and manse. The major development of the town has really only come about in recent years.