The old town of Česká Lípa was built near a ford on the Ploučnice where a Slavonic colony existed from the 10th century. The line of the Ronovci and Henry of Lipá () in particular contributed to the founding of the town between 1305 and 1319, and the line of the Berkové z Dubé promoted its development. A hundred years later the town was occupied by the Hussite army of Jan Roháč z Dubé and devastated by fires. Albert of Valdštejn, and later Kaunitzs, contributed to another boom of the town by founding a monastery and school. The modern urban development of the town was influenced by industrial production and uranium mining in the region. Residential neighbourhoods consisting of large amounts of prefab housing were built on the outskirts while the town center was preserved and declared as an urban heritage zone.