Tetschen

The city of Decin is situated in the gorge of the Elbe River in the Czech Republic near the German border. Founded in the 12th century, it thrived as medieval center. It had a strong German presence until after World War II and the expulsion of people of German ethnicity from the Sudetenland. The modern city has paper, textile, and chemical manufacturing industries, and is a busy river port. Located in the middle of a highly scenic area of valleys and high rock formations, it is a major tourism center. Notable among its historic architecture is an 18th-century castle situated upon a high rocky crag. Its 2003 population estimate was 53,000.