Majestic, venerable, ancient. That is how one could describe the highest Czech mountains – the Krkonoše. It is no wonder that our first national park was established here 56 years ago. So, why wait? The mountains may have time, but people do not, especially in today's fast-paced era. So, grease your mouse wheel, a proper climb awaits us! Total route length: 45 km (route map) We will start our hike from the very heart of the mountains – from Špindlerův Mlýn. We will get a bit breathless along the Vodovodní and Stará vozová paths, but that is why we went to the mountains, right? Before we knew it, we were standing on the ridge (the advantages of traveling on a travel blog!)... we climbed the mysterious mountain Kotel. Here, I recommend a small detour to the Harrachovy kameny, where an impressive view opens up of both Kotel itself and the Kotelní jámy – two large glacial cirques. With their slopes of up to 45°, they are frequent scenes of avalanches. We can also visit Vrbatovo návrší, where, among other things, you will find a monument to two Czech athletes, Václav Vrbata and Bohumil Hanč, who froze to death in the Krkonoše in 1913.
Up and down the waterfall
The red trail will soon lead us to the highest waterfall in the Czech Republic – the Pančavský waterfall. Water falls here in a cascade from a spectacular height of 148 meters into the Labský důl, which offers one of the most magnificent views in the Krkonoše (for example, from the Ambrožova lookout). Of the many other numerous waterfalls that feed water into Labský důl, I will mention the Labský waterfall below the Labská bouda, which can be observed from the viewing platform.
But where does all that water come from? It originates in peat bogs and small springs scattered across the Pančavská, Mumlavská, and Labská louka meadows. It is also here that one of the largest European rivers – the Elbe (Labe) – rises. Its source can be found 2 km from the Labský waterfall, and a wide path leads to it.
This will accompany us for a while, along the jagged peak of Violník. A little further on, we get a breathtaking view of other giant glacial cirques – the Malá and Velká Sněžná jáma. The latter has an impressive 300 meters in height and 600 meters in width. Beyond them, we will circle the majestic Vysoké kolo, our fourth highest mountain.
The ridge trail will further lead you over the mountains Velký šišák and the Mužské and Dívčí stones (on whose peaks you will find weathered rocks of strange shapes) to the burnt-down Petrova bouda, all the way to the Slezské sedlo, where you can refresh yourself in one of the local restaurants.
From there, we will take the Stříbrný hřeben ridge, from which beautiful views await us, not only of the Wielky Staw and Maly Staw lakes on the Polish side of the Krkonoše.
We will then enjoy truly unforgettable views from our highest mountain. We will pay tribute to Luční and Studniční hora (the second and third highest mountains in the Czech Republic) as well as the Obří důl valley. From here, through the Rudná rokle, the next part of our route will lead us to Pec pod Sněžkou, a legendary tourist center. From there, I recommend heading to Černá hora, where we will encounter the Černohorské rašeliniště, the largest forest peat bog in the Krkonoše, an incredible 6,000 years old.
Views are a must
At the top of Černá hora, we can wave goodbye to the Krkonoše from the lookout tower. However, it will not be the last lookout on our journey: At the very edge of the national park, we will also visit the monumental Treetop Walkway. We will walk along wooden footbridges high above the ground, above the forest undergrowth, among the tree trunks, climb up to their tops and beyond, until we reach the monumental viewing tower without climbing a single step. From a height of 45 meters, we will look out over the forest kingdom, green hills, and the distant landscape. And then we will zip down the fifty-meter slide.
We have seen the world from above and bowed to the noble mountains. In the next part, we will walk through sandstone cities and under the largest European sandstone rock gate. See you in Bohemian Switzerland!
Tip: Have you already visited the unique Podyjí National Park?
