Dubí


Dubí is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region, in the Czech Republic, near Teplice in the Ore Mountains, with population of around 8,000. It is an important transit point to Germany on European route E55, and the border crossing Cínovec is located within the town limits. There is a spa with mineral waters and a china factory there. The railroad line that passes through the town, was declared a national monument in 1998. After the Velvet Revolution, the town received bad publicity due to rampant prostitution, fueled by the close proximity to Germany, location on a main truck route and low purchasing power in the Czech Republic; municipal authorities have been struggling with this issue with some recent successes.

History

Dubí was first mentioned in the period of 1494–1498 as a village of tin miners.
Rapid development started in the 19th century. First, a new road to Saxony was built, followed by a spa and in A.Tschinkel purchased a mill Buschmühle where he established porcelain factory that in 1871 changed name to "Eichwalder Porzellan und Ofenfabriken Bloch and Co." Furthermore, a new railroad made Dubí a popular holiday spa resort, visited by Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Jan Neruda, Václav Talich and others.

Economy

Europe's largest deposits of lithium-bearing mica zinnwaldite in Cínovec, a village which gave its old German name Zinnwald to the mineral, were expected to be mined starting 2019. As of April 2019, it is expected to start in 2022.

Sights and spa

The most important sight in Dubí is Saint Maria's Church, which was built on the order of princes Clary-Aldringen between 1898 and 1906 as a copy of the Venice church Santa Maria dell'Orto to serve as their family's church.
The first spas in Dubí were built in 1860 under the management of Anton Tschinkel, the founder of a local china factory. In 1862, his first spa was opened. The present-day Theresa Spa with mineral waters, recommended to patients after brain and spine surgeries, have been operating since 1879.
The scenic railroad line Dubí–Moldava was declared a national monument in 1998.

Footnotes