The town of Krásno (germ. Schönfeld) was established on the grounds of the former old mining settlement of Drei Linden. The first mention of Krásno is from 1241 in the annals of English chronicler Bartholomeus Angelicus. The oldest preserved town documents date back to 1341 and 1355 - indicating that important tin and mining court rights were granted by Slávek (Schlacko) and Bořek (Borsso) of Riesenburg, who were the owners of the Bečov estates. In 1529, the settlement became a mining town under the rule of the family Pflug of Rabenstein. In 1547, all property belonging to the Rabensteins was confiscated because of their participation in the anti-Catholic resistance, and on 1 September of that year, King Ferdinand I granted Krásno royal mining town status, along with a coat of arms.
Fig.: Municipal Coat of Arms
The major tin mines of Europe were located in the surroundings of Krásno. During its most productive period in 1500–1620, more than 40 thousand tons of tin, approximately 2/3 of the overall Bohemian production, were mined in the Slavkovský les Mts. As a result, the tin production was reduced. In the 19th century, the overall decline of tinning came about and porcelain production started to develop.
Fig.: Municipal Seal
The resettlement of the German population, the rise of communism and the temporary closure of the Slavkovský les Mts. due to military purposes brought about a significant moral and material decline in the town after 1945. The population decreased to one fourth and the number of buildings to one third of the pre-war era. The extraction of tin and tungsten was expanded and a short-term rise in uranium mining occurred with devastating effects. At the turn of the Millennium, a new prospective mineral appeared – ceramic feldspar, which is mined in the Vysoký Kámen quarry.
Fig.: The observation tower on the Krásenský Hill
The Mining Museum and numerous mining monuments are dedicated to the mining tradition. An observation tower with an exterior spiral staircase stands on Krásenský vrch Hill located above the town. The Dlouhá Stoka Channel, which is a significant technical landmark, meanders along below the tower. It is a man-made channel of more than 24 km and, from the 16th century onward, was used for the transport of wood and as a source of hydraulic power for the tin mines.