Bodies of the Liberec Region

The Liberec Region

The Liberec Region is in Northern Czech Republic and comprises four districts: Liberec, Jablonec nad Nisou, Semily, and Česká Lípa, with a total area of 3,163 km². The Region occupies 4% of the area of the Czech Republic, making it the second smallest in the country after Prague. Approximately 434 000 inhabitants have their permanent address here. The population density is slightly above the average of the country.

The capital city of the region and its natural center is Liberec with nearly 100 000 inhabitants. Liberec along with the neighbouring Jablonec nad Nisou constitute a larger metropolitan area. The boundary of the region in the north follows the state border with Poland and partly with the Federal Rebublic of Germany. The Euroregion Neisse-Nisa-Nysa was established in 1991, extending cross-border cooperation. It is a voluntary association of communities in Czech, Poland, and Germany whose members are towns and communities of the Liberec Region, Šluknov area, and the adjacent districts of the neighbouring countries. There are 215 communities of which 39 are towns in the area of the Liberec Region.

Compared to other regions, the Liberec Region has a large number of people working in industry. Glass, pottery, machinery, textile, and plastic industries are all particularly developed. Other major sectors include trade, transport, health services, and building, leaving agriculture and administration behind. A four-lane highway provides an important connection between Liberec and Prague. Its extension to the state border will connect it with the highway network in the Federal Republic of Germany.

There are several significant border crossings in the region. These are supplemented by a number of border crossings opened to provide limited cross-border contact. That is why tourism plays a significant a role in the Liberec Region; every year it is visited by hunderds of thousands of tourists who are attracted by the diversity of its nature. The Jizera and Krkonoše Mountains extending across the region are the most famous mountain ranges. There are many opportunities to hike, bike, and do winter sports there. The Ještěd area above Liberec provides unique conditions for winter sports. Beside pistes of various difficulty levels, there are ski jumps where ski jumping competitions are held every year. In addition, the landscape is enhanced  by many natural places of interest, water areas, streams, and historical monuments. Spas, visited by people from the neighboring countries of the Nisa Euroregion, also play an important role.

It is important to mention the University in the Liberec Region. The Technical University at Liberec has Departments of Machinery, Textile, Economy, Education, Art and Achitecture, Mechanical Electronics. 1 400 students graduated from the school in 2007. Young people can also study at several  secondary schools (Gymnasiums, secondary technical schools, vocational schools, integrated secondary schools and special schools).

Inhabitants of the Liberec region and its visitors can enjoy cultural life in several institutions such as cinemas, theatres, museums, galleries, castles, and chateaux. The new Research Library in Liberec was partially funded by a PHARE project.
Lovers of sports find ideal conditions and facilities for many sports in the region. Football is the most popular game; children are trained from an early age. Tourism and many other sports are also engaged in. Cycling has become more and more popular not only with the inhabitants of the Liberec Region but foreigners increasingly come to experience the local natural beauty by bike too. One of the best areas for this activity is the Czech Paradise. People use the bicycle – so popular recently – to see many interesting natural places and historical monuments in all of the Liberec Region.