*The unique granite cliffs and tors of the Krkonoše – a 21 km tour*

• The Krkonoše mountains in Northern Bohemia are old, very old. Their origin dates from at least 700 million years ago when tectonic plate movements caused folding of the sedimentary bedrock, transforming it into harder schist and gneiss rock forms. Then, around 300 million years ago, a vast body of liquid granite pushed towards the surface, pooling beneath the layers of schist rock. The hot magma baked the closest layers of schist, transforming the crystalline structure once again into a different form of (super hard) metamorphic rock, known as hornfels.
• Over the subsequent millennia, most of which were hot and humid, the softer layers of surface rock were eroded away and washed by tropical storms into the lowland areas. The whole mountain range was gradually flattened into plateau areas. In places, the now solidified granite intrusion was exposed to the elements. Only the slopes of Sněžka and the nearby ridges, made up of erosion-resistant hornfels, resisted the flattening process.
• As it cooled beneath the surface, the granite mass started to develop cracks. As the surface layers of schist were eroded away, the pressure on the underlying granite was released, causing further widening of those cracks. The exposed granite was now subject to the dramatic weathering impact of frost, wind, snow and ice. The freeze/thaw cycles were particularly destructive during the most recent ice ages. Glaciers advanced to the northern slopes of the Krkonoše mountains, but never crossed the range. The exposed rock on the plateau and the cliff edges were successively battered by ferocious winter storms. The granite towers and cliffs were split and shattered under an icy onslaught.
• Today, those crumbling cliffs and granite towers create the scenic backdrop to a spectacular walk along the Krkonoše ridge. The dramatic shapes of the ice sculpted granite towers – called ‘tors’ in many countries – often resemble frozen giants or animals; hence the names of the two most famous formations on the ridge above Špindlerův Mlýn; Mužské kameny and Dívčí kameny.
• The following walk visits those famous rocks and the view points over the granite cliffs. The proposed route begins in Špindlerův Mlýn – the Czech Republic’s most well known ski resort – and ascends to the Krkonoše ridge following the course of the Labe (Elbe) river, whose source lies on the high plateau. The path offers views of cascading waterfalls that feed the stream that becomes one of Europe’s most important rivers, flowing for over a thousand kilometers to reach the North Sea. The ascent path reaches the plateau near the large mountain hotel of Labská bouda.
• On reaching the ridge line (which is also the Czech/Polish border) the path crosses into Poland and traverses beneath Vysoké kolo (1509m), the fourth highest Czech mountain, before reaching the granite rock tors. The descent back to Špindlerův Mlýn crosses the pastures created by settlers from the 17th century onwards, many of whom were specialists in wood cutting, bringing to the mountains their livestock and alpine architecture.
• The total walk length is 21.4 km with 890m of height gained/lost on the circular route. None of the trails are particularly steep, but the ridge can be very windy, so taking appropriate mountain clothing is important. The route is only practicable with hiking footwear in summer and early autumn – snow will impede progress from late autumn to spring. In wintery conditions, appropriate equipment (eg snowshoes or skis) are often required for parts of the route. The upper path along the Labe stream is somewhat exposed to avalanches, and a safer approach to the Labská plateau is via the Medvědín chair lift.
• There are several possible refreshment options during the route – which may only be open in high season. These include Labská bouda, the (recommended) restaurant at Moravská Bouda, and restaurant Myslivna, situated on the Labe, 2 km from the centre of Špindlerův Mlýn.

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 the walk at Špindlerův Mlýn main square. Take the BLUE trail in the direction of Medvedín, following the course of the Labe river
• The path is an asphalt road for 5.6 km and then steepens to become a mountain track at the Labský důl – Pudlava signpost
• The trail tops out on the plateau near the Labská bouda hotel after a further 3.5 km on the BLUE trail – there are several fine viewpoints along the route including of the Labský waterfall
• From Labská bouda take the YELLOW trail in the direction of Sněžné jámy, climbing up to the ridge in 1.7 km
• At the ridge, turn right onto the RED trail – there are several viewpoints over the granite cliffs and the Polish landscape that are worth stopping at
• Continue on the RED trail on the northern (Polish) slopes of Vysoké kolo (1509m) – note in winter the trail is on the southern (Czech) slopes and marked with wooden poles – to reach the Mužské kameny rocks (2.5 km from the Sněžné jámy signpost)
• From Mužské kameny it is a further 800m along the RED trail to the Dívčí kameny rocks
• Descend from Dívčí kameny on the RED trail for 1 km to reach the Petrovka trail junction. Here, turn right onto the YELLOW trail in the direction of Moravská Bouda, which is reached after 500m
• From Moravská Bouda (refreshment options in the pleasant mountain restaurant), continue descending on the YELLOW trail for 3.4km to reach the trail junction of U Dívčí lávky, beside the public road
• Cross the road and join the BLUE trail as it follows the Bílé Labe stream and then the Labe river as it flows towards Špindlerův Mlýn. The village center is reached in 2.3 km