The town of Turnov was founded on the river Jizera around 1250 by Jaroslav and Havel of the Markvartic dynasty. The first written evidence of the town dates back to 1272, when traditions of handcraft and trade started to develop. Thanks to the rich local deposits many precious stone grinders settled there as early as the 16th century. From the 18th century glass works began to appear, producing what is known as glass composition. It was then ground into perfect imitations of natural precious stones. Turnov became famous all over the world for the production of jewellery using the Czech garnet. The town is the starting point of trips in the unique landscape of the Bohemian Paradise which was included in the European UNESCO geoparks network in 2005.
The town of Turnov offers to its visitors plenty of cultural and sports activities. In 2015-2016 a sports and recreation complex Maškova zahrada (Mašek Garden) was constructed which includes an outdoor swimming pool and a winter stadium.

Population: 14.500

Area: 2 273 ha = 22,73 km2

Geographic coordinates:  latitude - 50° 35′ 15" North,longitude: 15° 9′ 26" East

Elevation: centre of the town - 267 MASL - meters above sea level

Town parts: 5 cadastral territories (Turnov, Daliměřice, Mašov u Turnova, Bukovina u Turnova and Malý Rohozec) and 13 town parts: Turnov (Nudvojovice connected), Daliměřice, Hrubý Rohozec, Kadeřavec, Mašov, Pelešany, Bukovina, Dolánky u Turnova, Kobylka, Loužek, Malý Rohozec, Mokřiny and Vazovec.