Krkonoše in winter - Rokytnice nad Jizerou and surroundings

Visited in: February 2014

As you probably noticed, snow conditions were terrible this winter in the Czech Republic. But who could have known couple of months ago when we booked our winter holiday? Well as I am not a big fan of cross-country skiing we spent most of the days hiking.

Weather can change quickly in the mountains and weather forecast is not always reliable... you can meet all possible conditions in one day so be ready for that:)

 

Tip for cheap accommodation: 170 CZK per night. http://www.erlebaska.cz/ at 1020 m. - noisy but everything else is fine. You have to cook yourself or go up 300 metres to a restaurant. It is a few kilometres up from Rokytnice nad Jizerou or you can order a car from Dvoračky to take you there (and mainly your baggages), 600 CZK one way.

"Dvoračky" restaurant was our base every day with Budvar beer, amazing soup ("krkonošské kyselo") and blueberry cakes and dumplings. http://www.dvoracky.cz/cs/

They have their own lift and short slope but you can ski through the forest and reach Lysá hora slopes for - usually - pretty good skiing. 

There are quite many trips you can do (this one quite easily on cross-country ski, too); the easiest and probably most beautiful is red trail up to the ridge - map http://mapy.cz/s/9qaX - enjoy the view while going towards "Vrbatova bouda" (1397 m). There you can get some refreshment (9.30-16.00) and stop at memorial of Hanč and Vrbata who both died in 1913 during 50 km ski competition because of the weather change (to cut the story short).

From there you can continue on red trail further away from Dvoračky, or, what I would recommend, turn to the right direction Labská bouda passing Pančavský waterfall (vodopád). You can have another beer at Labská bouda, however despite promoting their own microbrewery, they didn't have anything but Budvar at the time we were there. They also offer accommodation which may be an option if you are planning a trip for more days and don't want to go down from the ridge http://www.labskabouda.cz/en

Take a very short detour to Labský vodopád (waterfall) and continue to Pramen Labe (spring of river Labe that is, in the end, 1154 km long) but you won't see anything if there is snow. Here you can turn back to close the circle - follow yellow and later green trail to the crossroads "U Růženčiny zahrádky" where you reach again red trail leading back to Dvoračky.

Another pretty nice hike about 16 km (with more ups and downs on the way) was from Dvoračky to Horní Mísečky on green trail and then up to the ridge following yellow trail to Vrbatova bouda and then red trail back to Dvoračky. 

Trip to Harrachov was mainly motivated by our desire to visit local brewery:) The hike itself is a bit boring despite nice nature around - 7 km straight down the hill on green trail and the same way up http://mapy.cz/s/9qBQ (but if we had a bit more time we would definitely take different trail to go back - specifically the blue one heading to Mumlavský vodopád / waterfall, really nice place! Then we would just continue to "Krakonošova snídaně", then yellow, blue and green back to Dvoračky).

The actual town Harrachov is pretty scary in my view. "Las Vegas casino, Venice pizzeria, Amsterdam café"... certainly not places I'd visit when being in this region. But we had to pass them all to reach the brewery! http://www.sklarnaharrachov.cz/ - beer and food were pretty good so it was worth it. If you have some time you can also visit excursion in their traditional glass production hall. Of course skiing is another possibility what to do if there is enough snow:)

I'm sure you can see plenty of other possibilities where to go... I have some places on my list for next time, like a farm "Hucul" http://www.hucul.cz/ofarme.php with accommodation, horses and other animals, horse-riding, and allegedly very good restaurant with beef of their own production (Scottish highland cows). 

Btw. if you are interested in the mysterious man with a long beard,  wooden stick and hat with bird feathers - Krakonoš - whose pictures and sculptures and name is almost everywhere in this region - there is a quite nice text in English at Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%BCbezahl

From Český Brod to Kostelec n. Č. l. + brewery

Pleasant spring hike close to Prague. We did 21 km total but that was only because we did a lot of detours. Map: http://mapy.cz/s/6Phd

Trains to Český Brod leave very often (app. every half an hour) from Prague Masarykovo nádraží. If you have Opencard (public transport pass), buy a ticket from the last station in Prague. They are now renovating surroundings of Č. B. station so go to the centre until you reach the red mark. You can stop for some sightseeing (Wikipedia: St. Gothard's Church (baroque church), Gothic bell tower, middle age town wall, neorenaissance town hall, Prokop Veliký monument, renaissance Trinity Church) and also for sweet breakfast (I didn't try personally but it's supposed to be very good - Cukrárna M+Z Kašovi,
nám. Arnošta z Pardubic 39, Mon 10-17, Tue-Fri 8-12.15+13-17, Sat 8-11.30, Sun 11-16). Also there is an outdoor fitness in local parc to burn the calories after and warm up muscles!

(Extra - I also didn't try - but there are some historical underground cellars in "Městské kulturní a informační centrum" (cultural and info centre, + library) at the main square no. 1).

Follow red trail till Tuchoraz with medieval fortress. Unfortunately it is closed for public so you can only see photos to find out how it looks inside: http://hrady.rajce.idnes.cz/Tuchoraz

Now you can change to blue trail (later also to yellow) but we stayed on red until we reached the crossroads and changed to yellow to see the castle Šember ruins - there are none. But it's a nice place:) We went a bit back down the hill and changed to green, heading directly to Sv. Martin church. It is more beautiful though to just stay on red and walk through the river Šembera valley, you reach the church anyway. It is an interesting one to see, built in the end of 12th century. Unfortunately opened only every 4th Sunday in month (11.30) for mass. 

We continued to Kozojedy wanting to take a shortcut to Kostelec but that was really busy road  so I really don't recommend that - instead take the smaller road to the north (http://mapy.cz/s/6Phw) and then red trail again.

In Kostelec nad Černými lesy, you can just take bus to Prague (quite often from the main squary, going to Háje metro). Or go to the brewery pub - although they don't brew (yet) they offer very good special beers, very nice room with collection of first republic beer boards and pretty good food. The service was worse but that is I'm afraid standard in this country:( There is a beer museum, too, now open every Sat. from 3 pm or you can arrange special tour. Website mostly in Czech... http://www.pivovarkostelec.cz/en

There is a beautiful rennaisance chateau, closed to public, but sometimes you can go to courtyard at least.

There is a museum of pottery (I didn't visit) - open Thu-Sat 10-12 + 13-17

Or, take a walk in beautiful vast forest parc which was used by Soviet Red Army as sanatorium (place for healing lung diseases; there are some abandoned buildings too - unaccessible). You can find the entrance on right side of Kutnohorská road at N 49° 59.390 E 014° 51.858.

For geocachers, there is a 100 caches serie "TFTC" with some quite challenging ones - check the favorite points to select the better caches.   

20 km Mirošovice - Kamenice + brewery Velké Popovice + chateau Štiřín

This hike is connected to our geocache "Landscape of Baron Ringhoffer" - http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=00138a3a-58a6-4afc-85a9-c359dfc0be68 

Classic tourist map: http://www.mapy.cz/s/6JTC 

Map of the specific trail and photos (PDF): http://www.laduv-kraj.cz/e_download.php?file=data/editor/40cs_3.pdf&original=krajinou_barona_ringhoffera.pdf 

Let me quote following source: http://www.laduv-kraj.cz/tourist/landscape-of-baron-ringhoffer

"The nature trail called Landscape of Baron Ringhoffer has been established in memory of the prominent industrialist who greatly influenced the landscape in the Velke Popovice and Kamenice regions in the 19th century. Baron Frantisek Ringhoffer, the owner of an engineering empire in Smichov in Prague and an important figure in the elite circles at the time, established the brewery in Velke Popovice and a number of other manufacturing enterprises, including a copper mill, saw mill, brickworks and dairy. The Baron and his family took care of the local landscape with great dedication, planting avenues of trees, and maintaining the roads and land surrounding two of their residences – the Stirin, Lojovice and Kamenice chateaus. Their care for the landscape is noticeable to this day.

The tourist trail Landscape of Baron Ringhoffer is one of the greatest walks in the surroundings of Prague. It offers magnificent views of the Velkopopovicko nature park and the surroundings of the Sazava river, an excursion to the Velke Popovice brewery, a stroll through the park belonging to the Stirin chateau, a walk through the avenue of trees leading to the Ringhoffer family crypt, a visit to the church with a rotunda and the Jewish cemetery in Kostelec u Krizku and much more.
The trail is 20 km long, includes 10 information signs and can be reached by the integrated Prague public transport. The walk starts in Mirosovice (on railway line no. 221 – Prague Main Station – Benesov u Prahy) and ends in Kamenice, with transport options including buses to Prague, to the Budejovicka underground station.
This project of the Josef Lada Country micro-region was completed in 2005 – 2006 with a financial support of the Central Bohemia Region."

TRAIL IS SUITABLE FOR CYCLISTS EXCEPT OF SHORT DISTANCE BY REPCICE.

  

Beginning of the trail is to be found next to the train station at Mirosovice. Follow first yellow then blue tourist marked trail and continue until Velke Popovice where you can go to excursion in local brewery or have a great lunch and beer (one of my favourite)! 

English web for details: http://pivovar.kozel.cz/en/homepage.html

Next, follow yellow tourist marks that will lead you to board no. 5. Follow the trail up the hill (across the stream) – this time, first green marks then blue again direction Stirin. Consider visit to the Stirin chateau (you cannot go inside though) and its parc – it is very beautiful! Otherwise continue following blue marked trail to board no. 7 at Hamersky pond. Keep on blue marked trail. Go through a beautiful avenue of trees to Ringhoffers‘ tomb and to 8th board. Still on blue, you will soon reach 9th stop. From there consider a short detour to local Jewish cemetary (photos at http://www.atlasceska.cz/stredocesky-kraj/zidovsky-hrbitov-kostelec-u-krizku)

Unmarked trail will then lead you to the centre of Kamenice and last board at N 49° 54.258 E 014° 35.194 and also to the bus station. Or you can take cycling path or partly green trail - check the map, it's easy. Hope you will like it there!