Libáň

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Libáň is a small town in the Jičín District, in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,900 residents and covers about 19.7 square kilometers. The town is about 12 kilometers southwest of Jičín and 59 kilometers northeast of Prague. It sits mostly in the Central Elbe Table, with its northeastern edge in the Jičín Uplands, where the highest point reaches about 323 meters above sea level. The Libáňský potok stream runs through the town, and there are several fishponds nearby, the largest of which is Stejskal.

Libáň was first mentioned in 1340, when it was already called a town. It belonged to the Staré Hrady estate and was later promoted to a town again in 1574 by Emperor Maximilian II. The town’s biggest employer today is Antolin Liban, a car parts manufacturer owned by Grupo Antolin, with about 750 employees. There are no major roads through Libáň, and the railway line is not used.

The main landmark is the Church of the Holy Spirit, a Gothic church from the 14th century that was rebuilt in Baroque style in 1753–1756. In nearby Psinice is the Church of Saint George, originally Gothic and rebuilt in the Historicist style; part of its stone wall is a separate wooden bell tower.