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Děčín is a large city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. Just over the German border, not far from Dresden and 83 minutes north-east of Prague by rail, Děčín is on the trade route between the Czech Republic and Germany. Cargo transported by road, rail and water all passes through the town, as it is also at the meeting-point of the rivers Labe (Elbe) and Ploučnice. Děčín is actually made up of two towns, one on either side of the river Labe; the old town of Děčín is on the right bank, and on the left bank is Podmokly (German: Bodenbach) which became part of the town in 1942. Děčín is also the name of the district of which the town is the greatest urban area. The Labe having cut its way through the soft sandstone of the region, the town is at the centre of three low mountain ranges; Děčínská vrchovina (the Děčín Highlands), České Středohoří (the Czech Midlands) and Lužické hory (the Luzice Mountains). Products made in Děčín include sheet-metal, food, textiles, chemicals, soap, beer and preserved fish; the town is also home to a printing and publishing industry. The Děčín (Tetschen) area was settled by the Slavic tribe of the Děčané in the 9th century, giving it its name. At first it was built on the left bank of the Elbe Labe, but after a flood it was rebuilt on the right bank in 1059. From 1305, the Lords of Wartenberg were in control of the town for two hundred years until 1534, when it was bought by the rich Lord Rudolf von Bünau. This family introduced Protestantism to the region but the religion was dropped when the Bünaus were driven out in 1620. Unable to live in Tetschen any more, in 1628 Bünau sold the town to the Baron of Thun. In the 18th century, Tetschen followed fashion and became a spa town under Baron Johann Joseph Thun, who searched the area for a suitable spring and found one in Horní Zleb in 1768. The centre of a busy trading hub was not, however, the ideal place to build a spa, and the idea was eventually dropped in 1922; today the town's spa past has been largely forgotten. In August 2002, extreme weather conditions lead to extensive flooding all across Europe and Děčín was also badly hit. Water levels rose from their usual 2 metres to 12 metres; five barges broke loose from their moorings and threatened to break apart a town bridge and float on towards Dresden before the police blew them up with explosives. At one point 1,600 people were evacuated. Fortunately, many of the town's tourist spots, and its historic centre are higher up on the hill, so they were left undamaged, but many other buildings were ruined.Decin - information
DěčínÚstí nad Labem Region
52155
36936
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11803.9 m²
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Decin - Map
50°46'22.38"N 14°12'50.28"E
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Photographs Decin
