Kraslice (; ) is a town in Sokolov District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 6,500 inhabitants. It was a large and important town until the World War II. It is known for manufacture of musical instruments. Administrative parts Town parts and villages of Černá, Čirá, Hraničná, Kámen, Kostelní, Krásná, Liboc, Mlýnská, Počátky, Sklená, Sněžná, Tisová, Valtéřov and Zelená Hora are administrative parts of Kraslice. Etymology The roots of the name derive from the medieval German Graz, meaning "trimmed conifer twigs". The name Graslitz was then a diminutive of the word Graz. The Czech name Kraslice is a transliteration of the German name and also literally means "blown easter egg". Geography Kraslice is located about north of Sokolov and northwest of Karlovy Vary. It lies on the border with Germany, adjacent to the German town of Klingenthal. It is situated in the western part of the Ore Mountains. The highest point is the mountain Počátecký vrch, at above sea level. The built-up area is situated in the valley of the Svatava River and its tributary, the Stříbrný Stream. Kraslice lies in an area known for swarm type seismic activity. The last strong earthquake swarm was in 1986. History The area was settled by German monks from Waldsassen Abbey in the 12th and 13th centuries. In the mid-13th century, a guard castle was built here and settlements were established around it. The first written mention of Kraslice is from 1272, when King Ottokar II of Bohemia donated it to Jindřich the Elder of Plavno. During the rule of the lords of Plavno in the 14th century, tin, lead and silver mining has developed in the area, and Kraslice became a prosperous settlement. In 1370, it was promoted by Charles IV to a royal town. At the beginning of the 15th century, Kraslice became the seat of the robber knights, and in 1412 the town was looted by the army, which aimed to rid the region of robbers. The town did not recover until 1527, when it was acquired by Jeroným Schlick and made it a free mining town. Ore mining in the vicinity of Kraslice has been declining since the 17th century. From 1666 to 1848, the town was owned by the Nostic family. Mining was replaced by folk crafts, the textile industry, and the manufacture of musical instruments and toys. In 1886, the railway