# Liberec District

Liberec District (Czech: okres Liberec) is a district in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the city of Liberec.

## Administrative division

Liberec District is divided into three administrative districts of municipalities with extended competence: Liberec, Frýdlant and Turnov. The town of Turnov is located in the neighbouring Semily District and it is the only such administrative district in the country whose borders do not correspond to the borders of the district.

### List of municipalities

Cities and towns are marked in bold and market towns in italics:
Bílá - Bílý Kostel nad Nisou - Bílý Potok - Bulovka - Černousy - Český Dub - Cetenov - Chotyně - Chrastava - Čtveřín - Dětřichov - Dlouhý Most - Dolní Řasnice - Frýdlant - Habartice - Hejnice - Heřmanice - Hlavice - Hodkovice nad Mohelkou - Horní Řasnice - Hrádek nad Nisou - Jablonné v Podještědí - Janovice v Podještědí - Janův Důl - Jeřmanice - Jindřichovice pod Smrkem - Kobyly - Krásný Les - Křižany - Kryštofovo Údolí - Kunratice - Lázně Libverda - Lažany - Liberec - Mníšek - Nová Ves - Nové Město pod Smrkem - Oldřichov v Hájích - Osečná - Paceřice - Pěnčín - Pertoltice - Příšovice - Proseč pod Ještědem - Radimovice - Raspenava - Rynoltice - Šimonovice - Soběslavice - Stráž nad Nisou - Světlá pod Ještědem - Svijanský Újezd - Svijany - Sychrov - Višňová - Vlastibořice - Všelibice - Žďárek - Zdislava

## Geography

Liberec District borders Poland in the north and briefly Germany in the northwest. The terrain is very diverse, with large differences in altitude, and hilly landscape prevails. The territory extends into seven geomorphological mesoregions: Frýdlant Hills (north), Jizera Mountains (east), Zittau Basin (centre), Ještěd–Kozákov Ridge (a strip from centre to southeast), Jičín Uplands (south), Ralsko Uplands (southwest) and Lusatian Mountains (a small part in the west). The highest point of the district is the mountain Smrk in Lázně Libverda with an elevation of 1,124 m (3,688 ft), the most dominant feature of the southern part of the district is Ještěd at 1,012 m (3,320 ft). The lowest point is the river bed of the Smědá in Černousy at 210 m (690 ft).
From the total district area of 989.3 km$^2$ (382.0 sq mi), agricultural land occupies 465.4 km$^2$ (179.7 sq mi), forests occupy 421.3 km$^2$ (162.7 sq mi), and water area occupies 9.8 km$^2$ (3.8 sq mi). Forests cover 42.6% of the district's area.
Several notable rivers originate in the territory. The Lusatian Neisse and Smědá drain water into the Baltic Sea, and the Ploučnice and Jizera drain water into the North Sea. The area is poor in bodies of water.
The Jizerské hory Protected Landscape Area is located in the east of the district. It includes the Czech part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site named Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe. The second protected landscape area in the territory is Lužické hory, situated in the west.

## Demographics

| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1869 | 165,637 | — |
| 1880 | 177,893 | +7.4% |
| 1890 | 186,668 | +4.9% |
| 1900 | 203,000 | +8.7% |
| 1910 | 214,009 | +5.4% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1921 | 196,426 | −8.2% |
| 1930 | 205,822 | +4.8% |
| 1950 | 135,713 | −34.1% |
| 1961 | 145,399 | +7.1% |
| 1970 | 148,250 | +2.0% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1980 | 161,289 | +8.8% |
| 1991 | 163,107 | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 162,780 | −0.2% |
| 2011 | 169,878 | +4.4% |
| 2021 | 174,225 | +2.6% |
Source: Censuses :

### Most populated municipalities

| Name | Population | Area (km$^2$) |
| Liberec | 107,982 | 106 |
| Hrádek nad Nisou | 7,932 | 49 |
| Frýdlant | 7,388 | 32 |
| Chrastava | 6,340 | 27 |
| Nové Město pod Smrkem | 3,757 | 29 |
| Jablonné v Podještědí | 3,741 | 58 |
| Hodkovice nad Mohelkou | 3,002 | 13 |
| Český Dub | 2,923 | 23 |
| Raspenava | 2,849 | 41 |
| Hejnice | 2,792 | 38 |

## Economy

The largest employers with headquarters in Liberec District and at least 1,000 employees are:
| Economic entity | Location | Number of employees | Main activity |
| Regional Hospital Liberec | Liberec | 4,000–4,999 | Health care |
| Denso Manufacturing | Liberec | 2,000–2,499 | Manufacture of cooling and ventilation equipment for motor vehicles |
| Drylock Technologies | Hrádek nad Nisou | 1,500–1,999 | Manufacture of hygiene needs |
| Magna Exteriors (Bohemia) | Liberec | 1,500–1,999 | Manufacture of parts for motor vehicles |
| Regional Police Directorate of the Liberec Region | Liberec | 1,500–1,999 | Public administration |
| Technical University of Liberec | Liberec | 1,500–1,999 | Education |
| Benteler ČR | Chrastava | 1,000–1,499 | Manufacture of parts for motor vehicles |

## Transport

A short section of the D10 motorway from Prague, which further continues as the R/35 expressway to Liberec and Chrastava (part of the European route E442) and then forks to the I/13 road to Děčín and to the I/35 road to Zittau, runs through the district. A section of the I/35 road runs from Liberec to Frýdlant and the Czech-Polish border.

## Sights

The most important monuments in the district, protected as national cultural monuments, are:
* Sychrov Castle
* Lemberk Castle
* Frýdlant Castle
* Ještěd Tower
* Grabštejn Castle
* Basilica of Saints Lawrence and Zdislava in Jablonné v Podještědí
* Pilgrimage complex with the Church of the Visitation in Hejnice
* Liberec City Hall
The best-preserved settlements and landscapes, protected as monument zones, are:
* Český Dub
* Frýdlant
* Hodkovice nad Mohelkou
* Hrádek nad Nisou
* Jablonné v Podještědí
* Liberec
* Kryštofovo Údolí
* Lembersko landscape
The most visited tourist destinations are the Liberec Zoo, iQ Landia science centre in Liberec, DinoPark Liberec, Centrum Babylon Liberec, and Sychrov Castle.