A circular route from Kořenov to Bukovec peak above Jizerka, returning via Souš: 18 km
- The scenic area around Jizerka village is one of the most visited spots in the Jizerské mountains. Most visitors drive to the large (often very busy) parking area just above Jizerka village, next to the conical volcanic peak of Bukavec. However, a more tranquil approach is to take the forest track that runs up to Bukavec from Martinské údol beside the Jizera river. This scenic trail runs for 6 km and offers tantalizing glimpses of the fast-flowing river through the dense spruce forests.
- Various options for extending the walk are available on reaching Bukovec, including excursions into Jizerka village, via Bukavec peak. In the village are various refreshment options. Just past Jizerka there is a lovely nature trail through the peat bog.
- For the return journey to the suggested starting point (Kořenov trail station), one option for creating a varied circular trip is to take the Hřebenovka trail which leads across the stream-lined plateau and descends towards the Souš reservoir. Although there is no permitted access to the reservoir shore, there are super views from near the dam, especially towards sunset (see the header photo). It is worth the short detour to this spot.
- The circular route shown on the map below is 18 km long, with just over 400m of height to ascend-descend (assuming no detour is made to climb Bukovec peak). None of the paths are steep, but the descent path down towards Souš can get very wet. There are several refreshment options along the way, including in Jizerka village, Souš and near Kořenov station. Perhaps the best food is at the Chata Na Souši (map point 6).
Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.com’ to go to a full screen version of the route directly on the mapy.com site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file.
Directions
- Start at Kořenov train station (which is on a regional train line from Liberec0. There are also bus connections to this spot
- Join the YELLOW trail heading towards Jizerka
- After 2.4 km switch to the RED trail, still heading towards Jizerka
- After 5.6 km reach the Pod Bukovcem junction at the crossroads. The road to the right leads down to Jizerka village
- For the return journey, take the BLUE trail, heading in the direction of the Pod Souší junction, which is reached after 4.3 km
- At Pod Souší, if wanting to catch the view from the dam, head to the right along the road for 500m and then return back to Pod Souší
- Join the RED trail, which leads directly back to Kořenov station after 4.6 km
