Šumperk

Šumperk is a town in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic, about 45 kilometres north of Olomouc, with roughly 24,000 inhabitants. It lies in the Hanušovice Highlands on the Bratrušovský potok stream, close to the Hrubý Jeseník mountains, which is why it is sometimes called the Gate to Jeseník. Its German name is Mährisch Schönberg, meaning Moravian beautiful hill. The town was probably established by German settlers from Silesia in the second half of the 13th century, and its first written mention dates to 1281. It grew rich on precious metals and later on textiles, and in the 19th century became the Moravian centre of linen and silk production, a prosperity that earned it the nickname Little Vienna. Its historic centre is a protected urban monument zone, with the Zierotin family castle in its past.