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A one day trip to the highest mountain in the Czech Republic and the border with Poland.
In spring/summer 2019 I was preparing to walk the West Highland Way and climb Ben Nevis and so I planned to hike Sněžka (1603m) as part of my training. A friend/colleague was visiting Prague at the same time and since he is also a hiker, I figured that the best way to show him the beauties of my country was to drag him to our highest mountain.
- Sněžka
We left Prague at 6 am and drove to Špindlerův Mlýn where we caught a bus to Špindlerova bouda, a mountain hotel on the Czech-Polish border and the beginning of our hike. The day was warm and sunny already at 9 am, so we broke some sweat already on the initial ascent to the ridge, but a light breeze helped us to forget the warmth at times. That however, wasn’t the best thing, as we forgot to reapply our sunscreens and ended up with bright red legs and arms at the end of the day.
We followed the Polish-Czech Friendship Trail, a ridge path that goes through Krkonoše (Karkonosze) Mountains, crossing the main ridge and summits, running on both sides of the border, and offering views of both countries … Polední kámen (Słonecznik / Noon Rock) – a rock formation, Wielki Staw and Mały Staw (Big and Small Pond) – glacier lakes, and Sněžka in front of us on the horizon, getting closer with each step. We met other hikers, but the path wasn’t crowded. That is until we reached the foot of Sněžka. We braved the crowds and started the final ascent to the top. Last time I was here, the path was narrower and I guess “wilder”. Now it’s wide enough for two or three people to pass each other and fixed with stones and steps. While it makes it more “civilized” it also protects the mountain from the thousands of feet coming up and down.
- Noon Rock
- Mały Staw (Small Pond)
The summit offers beautiful views of both countries, Obří důl (Giant Mine) – a glaciated valley on the Czech side, and has three structures. The oldest one is the Chapel of St. Lawrence (in Poland), built in 1665 – 1681. According to some sources, it was damaged by a lightning in 1771, and closed after 1810 during religious reforms under Joseph II. The chapel then served as a shelter and occasional pub, until it was reopened and consecrated again in 1854. On the Polish part of the summit is also a restaurant, which is sort of reminiscent of a space ship and that has been closed for years now. On the Czech part of the summit is a small post office and refreshments. And while it’s cool to send postcards from the highest point in the country (with a stamp to prove it), I would personally love only for the chapel to remain on the summit and the place to return to “less civilized” state.
- Sněžka summit
- Obří důl (Giant Mine)
After about an hour rest and writing/sending postcards, we retraced our steps from the summit and started on our return journey via Luční bouda (tourist hut/accommodation/refreshments) and Kozí hřbety (Goat Ridge). The number of hikers we encounter declined again and we had the mountain ridge mostly to ourselves (friends’ report for summer 2020: the mountains were overrun by tourists, no place to be alone). At Kozí hřbety we got a last look at Sněžka and started the descent to Špindlerův Mlýn, the waiting car and a two hours’ drive back to Prague.
- Kozí hřbety (Goat Ridge)
Path taken:
* Špindlerův Mlýn – Špindlerova bouda, bus
* Špindlerova bouda – Sněžka via the Polish-Czech Friendship Path; return: Sněžka – Luční bouda – Kozí hřbety – Špindlerův Mlýn
Ca 20 km
- A map of the route
Video from our hike with original music "Sněžka" by my friend and hiking buddy Daniel M. Cobb: