Date of visit: 22nd June 2013
At least two days and a car recommended! However we made one day trip, over 30 km circle from and to Boží Dar.
Transport: Altough there are some buses from Prague, it takes a lot of time and it gets even more complicated in the evening to go back. Therefore I really recommend to take a car and stay overnight - there are so many places to visit in this area!
The area combines glorious old and sad modern history and beautiful nature despite the damages on environment caused during communist era.
There is a very good article at Wikipedia about Krušné Hory - I'd highlight the history part. The region never recovered after the German population was expelled after WWII; also the famous mining history is pretty much gone (Jáchymov used to be the second richest city in Bohemia). I'll get back to the history below.
Here you can find a gallery of old and new photographs of the same places ("before and after") http://www.antikomplex.cz/fotogalerie/album/22-krusne-hory/
They even recently tore down one of the main symbols of Jáchymov, "Hornický dům" (Miner's house) that was built in 50's and was used for gatherings of all locals, there was a cinema, restaurant, wine bar... What was left just before the demolition can be seen here http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4512375
Back to hiking... We started in Boží Dar, the advantage is that it lies already over 1000 metres high so you don't really have to go up much to reach Klínovec, the highest mountain of Krušné hory (1244 m). Follow the red mark (goes along a church and under a big road) - map: http://mapy.cz/s/7NRL - and you are there soon. Sadly, the old restaurant and lookout tower is almost destructed; however they are now working on renovation and therefore the whole top of the mountain is a big construction site...
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| Klínovec - past. Source: http://www.bozidarsko.eu/zarizeni-infrastruktura/ |
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| Klínovec - today |
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| Klínovec - future |
We then continued on yellow (later green) trail to Jáchymov. Looking back I'd probably be lazier, go the same way back to the car and drove to Jáchymov (and make extra walking kilometres around). Why? Because it is pretty boring way down the hill. By "down" I mean from 1244 m to 560 m above sea level on 6,5 km trail.
Jáchymov is still famous for its radon spa and the lower part of town is pretty nice. More about Jáchymov and its history at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%A1chymov
After a walk and some geocaching, we went to the upper part of town to "Hornické muzeum Jáchymov" - Mining museum (map: http://mapy.cz/s/9pIL ) - reminding us of the most famous and infamous of this region at the same time. From the medieval silver mining to uranium mining after WWII till 1964, by prisoners, often political, who were held and forced to work here in terrible conditions. Entrance fee is 50 CZK per person, opening times May - October: Wednesday to Sunday, with tours at 10:00 ; 11:00 ; 13:00; 14:00; 15:00, 16:00.
We then followed yellow trail up the hill, it is an educational trail "Jáchymov hell" ("NS Jáchymovská peklo") reminding of mines and prisoner's camps used mainly in 50's. The first camp was pretty close to the present times miner's museum, you won't miss it, and it was one of the "smaller" camps: there were 450 - 750 prisoners.
We continued on yellow trail, changed to red, yellow again and red again - see map http://mapy.cz/s/9pJ8 , we passed along mountain called Božídarský Špičák (highest hill of volcano origin in middle Europe, 1115 m) until we reached the crossroads at "Božídarské rašeliniště" - peatbog. You can choose either 1,2 km trail or 2 km trail back to Boží Dar - you may be tired but take the longer one, it's an icing on the cake! And then you'll be also rewarded by a nice and cheap lunch and beer at any place you choose back in Boží Dar (we ended up in the very first restaurant and it was great:)
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