In the past linen manufacture developed in the town, which flourished particularly at the turn of the 19th century, predominantly thanks to the Harrach family, whose members raised it to the world standard.

Jilemnice is also known and famous for its skiing tradition and is often called the 'Cradle of Czech Skiing'. Since 1894 sports skiing in Jilemnice has been organized by the SKI Czech Krkonoše Union, the oldest independent skiing union in the Czech Republic.

Jilemnice has a very precious historical centre, consisting of three connected sets. Visitors will appreciate the typical atmosphere of a mountain town. Thanks to its good location, Jilemnice has been regarded as a good starting point for excursions to western Krkonoše for years.