Děčín District

Děčín District is divided into three administrative districts of municipalities with extended competence: Děčín, Rumburk and Varnsdorf.

Děčín District borders Germany in the north. It includes the Šluknov Hook area, surrounded by Germany on three sides. The district is a hilly and above-average forested area with several valleys and canyons. The territory extends into four geomorphological mesoregions: Elbe Sandstone Mountains (northwest), Central Bohemian Uplands (south), Lusatian Mountains (east) and Lusatian Highlands (north). The highest point of the district is the mountain Pěnkavčí vrch in Dolní Podluží with an elevation of 792 m (2,598 ft), located on the district border. The lowest point, which is also the lowest point of the entire Czech Republic, is the river bed of the Elbe in Hřensko at 115 m (377 ft).

From the total district area of 908.8 km² (350.9 sq mi), agricultural land occupies 361.9 km² (139.7 sq mi), forests occupy 454.5 km² (175.5 sq mi), and water area occupies 10.5 km² (4.1 sq mi). Forests cover 50.0% of the district's area.^[1]

The territory is rich in rivers. The most important river is the Elbe, which flows through the west of the territory and continues to Germany. Its most important tributary is the Ploučnice. Other notable rivers are the Kamenice, Křinice, Sebnice, and Mandava. The Spree shortly forms the Czech-German border.

There are only a few bodies of water in the district. The largest of them is the fishpond Velký rybník with an area of 36 ha (89 acres).^[3]

Most of the Děčín District is protected within some of large-scale protected areas. The most significant is Bohemian Switzerland National Park with many famous natural monuments. The protected landscape areas of České středohoří, Labské pískovce and Lužické hory also extend into the district.

The largest employers with headquarters in Děčín District and at least 500 employees are:^[6]

There are no motorways in the district territory. The most important road that passes through the district is the I/13 (part of the European route E442) from Liberec to Karlovy Vary.

Děčín District is an important junction. An important railway line from Prague to Dresden runs through it. The Elbe is used for ship transport.

The most important monument in the district and the only one protected as a national cultural monument is Benešov nad Ploučnicí Castle.^[7]

The best-preserved settlements and localities, protected as monument reservations and monument zones, are:^[8]

The most visited tourist destinations are the Děčín Zoo and places in Bohemian Switzerland, which are also among the most visited nature tourist destinations in the entire country: Kamenice Gorge, Pravčická brána, and Jetřichovice Rocks.^[9]