Tourism Horní Mísečky

Krakonos´s path

Vitkovice Car park Horni Misecky - Harrachov Info centre KRNAP

Krakonos belongs to mithic creatures who decided on the Giant Mountains nature and inhabitants (according to imaginings of our forefathers). We will follow his trail (it is called after him) and so we will have enough opportunities to to get to know his mountain kingdom.
The beginning of the road is at the enclave of Horni Misecky which history is connected with ore mining, mentioned already in the 17th century (1642). Today, it is a well known winter sport resort of downhill and cross-country skiing. Firts hunderd metres leads along comfortable Masaryk´s mountain road then we turn on the green marked trail - Krakonos´s path (till 1920 called The Jubilee road of Franz Josef).
It goes through forests on the southwest slopes of the Giant Moutains. Approximately in the middle of the trip to Kotelni jamy (corries), there is halfway overgrown meadow enclave on the left side where was built in 1708 Kotelska chalet. This chalet was one of the first mountain farms in the western Giant Mountains. It burnt out in 1910. After 1,5 km of comfortable walk, the scene of mountain spruce steep breaks open and we will stay face to face to the wild scenery of the glacial cirque of Velka Kotelni corrie. When you look back to the Kotel corries you see two striking formations above the Velke Kotelni jamy (corries). One of them is natural - tor of Harrach´s stones (Harrachovy kameny) 1424 m above sea level, the second one is artificial - stone mound of Hanc and Vrbata. They remind the tragedy of two skiers. They died during snowstorm and international ski race in 1913.
The Krakonos´s Path leads through south-west slopes of Kotel (1435 m above sea level) - the most striking mountain in the western Giant Mountains, to the woodless enclave of Dvoracky which was a centre of busines life in the west part od the Giant Mountains. Today´s cottage Dvoracka is witness of old days and it is worth to stop here and enjoy the look on traditional wooden interior of the mountain cottage. You can admire flowering mountain meadows (arnica, cat´s-ear, anemone, gentian, geranium, gartsia and many other plants) in the Krakonos´s trail surroundings. The road goes through the Dvoracky enclave and slowly descents on the south-west slopes of Lysa mountain. It crosses four ski slopes which lead from the top of Lysa mountain towards the valley of Rokytnice nad Jizerou. These places offer beautiful views especialy on Rokytnice nad Jizerou. By a good visibility is possible to see Jested mountain and the Jizera mountains, through Vysocko, Bohemian Paradise and Zvicina mountain near Dvur Kralove.
After arrival to the crossroads Rucicky, Krakonos´s path bends and after 4 km walk through forests in the beautiful valley of Rizy (former Sejfsky) creek, another woodless enclave opens in front of us. There are timber mountain cottages there. We come to Ryzoviste village, founded in the 14th century as a first part of Harrachov.
We come to Harrachov around a little stone ridge Skalni stena. Harrachov - originally glass and mining village, nowadays a summer and winter sports centre of the western Giant Mountains.

Length: 12.5 km Elevation: 520 m Maximal altitude: 1140 m Minimal altitude: 700 m

zpět