A visit to the Krkonoše town of Jilemnice, with its chateau and historical nature trail: 2 km to 6 km

• Jilemnice is often marketed as one of the ‘gateway’ towns to the Krkonoše mountains, but in truth it is a little too far from the main peak area to be a popular staring point for walks or skiing activities. However, the town is still worth a visit for its fine chateau, park area and collection of folk architecture dating from the 18th century.
• The chateau has a 16th century Renaissance origin but was developed by the Harrach family (who introduced skiing to Bohemia in the 19th century) into its current Neo-Renaissance appearance. Today, it houses a branch of the Krkonoše museum and is open for visits year-round.
• In addition to the chateau, there are some fine examples of Krkonoše folk architecture in Jilemnice, most notably in Zvědavá ulička (Curious Lane – map point 7). A tour of the chateau, its small park and the rest of the historical centre is no more than 2 km in length and can be done with a stroller.
• For a slightly longer walk, consider extending the trip with a 5 km loop around nearby Kozinec peak (561m), which has a fine viewpoint looking towards the higher Krkonoše peaks. This loop is on easy footpaths, with just over 100m of height to ascend-descend, but short sections over the meadows and to the viewpoint will be a challenge with a stroller. The route also incorporates a historical nature trail, with information boards.
• There are a number of good refreshment options in the town, including two cafés on Jana Harracha street (map points 9 and 10). At the beginning of Zvědavá ulička, the excellent restaurant Šaldův statek is located in a beautiful half-timbered building (map point 8).

Note: click ‘Show on map’ above to go to a full screen version directly on the mapy.cz site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file

Directions

• Although Jilemnice does have good regional bus/train connections (and infrequent direct bus connections with Prague), most visitors will probably stop in the town on their way by car to other Krkonoše destinations. In that case, there are a few small paid parking areas close to the centre (including some spaces on the main square, Masarykovo náměstí, and a convenient area opposite the chateau – map point 6)
• From the main square, Masarykovo náměstí, join the YELLOW trail. This trail loops around Kozinec peak and can be done either clockwise (visiting the old town first) or anticlockwise (finishing in the old town and at the restaurants). The map above shows the latter route