Proboštov consists of two municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):[2] The name was derived from the word probošt (i.e. 'provost') and refers to the fact that the village was originally a monastic property.

The northernmost part of the municipal territory lies in the Ore Mountains and includes the highest point of Proboštov at 404 m (1,325 ft) above sea level.

The first written mention of Proboštov is from 1156, when Queen Judith of Thuringia donated the village to the Benedictine monastery in Teplice.

Czechs from the hinterland began to move into the village and formed a large minority.

[8] The Děčín–Jeníkov-Oldřichov line with limited traffic runs through the northern part of the municipality, but there is no train station.