Špindlerův Mlýn (; , formerly also Spindelmühle) is a town in Trutnov District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,000 inhabitants. It lies in the Giant Mountains and it is one of the most frequented ski resorts in the country. Administrative parts Villages of Bedřichov, Labská and Přední Labská are administrative parts of Špindlerův Mlýn. Etymology Špindlerův Mlýn, literally meaning "Špindler's Mill", received its name after a mill belonging to the Špindler family, which was moved between the surrounding settlements Bedřichov, Labská and Svatý Petr in 1765. The municipality which did not exist at that time yet was given this name due to an official error. The locals wrote a request sent to the authorities here and signed it written in Špindler's Mill, but the authorities mistakenly thought that they were giving the name to a new municipality. After the merger of scattered settlements into one municipality, the name remained. One of the German variations of its name, Spindelmühle, was also created by an error of authorities. Geography Špindlerův Mlýn is located about northwest of Trutnov and east of Liberec, on the border with Poland. It lies in the Giant Mountains. In the east of the territory rises Luční hora, at above sea level the second highest mountain of the Czech Republic. The town is situated a in the valley between the Medvědín mountain and the ridges of Kozí hřbety and Pláň. Špindlerův Mlýn lies at the confluence of the river Elbe and the Dolský creek. The Elbe source is located northwest of the town, near the Polish border, on the slopes of Mt. Violík at an altitude of . About 1 km downstream are the Elbe Falls (Labský vodopád) which cascade about in depth. The Labská Dam with an area of was built near Labská village in 1910–1914. History The area was covered by forests and not settled until the 16th century, when the first prospectors and then miners of silver and iron ore came. The miners and lumberjacks who came from Alps settled here and began to build huts. They took advantage of the experience from home and started raising cattle in the seemingly inhospitable mountains and farming in the clearings. The clearing became meadows and pastures, creating typical enclaves in the middle of forests, preserved to this day. In the 18th century, large parts of the surrounding forests were a possession