*A walk around the scenic Jizerské hory reservoirs close to Bedřichov: 16 km to 19 km*

• Bedřichov is the classic entry point for visitors to the Jizerské hory, whether cross country skiing in winter or biking and hiking for the rest of the year. The village has good bus connections with Liberec and Jablonec, extensive (paid) parking areas and an increasing number of pensions and restaurants for those staying longer than a day. For walkers, there a a huge number of options starting in Bedřichov. One of the nicest hikes is a medium length tour of the nearby reservoir lakes.
• The largest reservoir is Josefův Důl, completed in 1982 and used for drinking water, so no tourist activities are permitted on the lake. However, two hiking trails pass close to the reservoir. Both are worth trying. The longer route (shown below in the map below) passes over the dam, whereas the more direct route passes through the forest on the north side of the reservoir (this is the 16 km version of the walk).
• The hamlet of Kristiánov, located in mountain pastures above 800m in altitude, was once an important glass manufacturing center. It was founded in the 18th century and run by the legendary glass manufacturing family, Riedel, for over a hundred years. Most of the hamlet was destroyed by fire at the end of the 19th century, but a small exhibition is housed in one of the surviving timbered buildings from this period.
• A short walk from Kristiánov leads to the meadows of Nová Louka, where the Riedel family also constructed a glass factory under the sponsorship of the local noble Clam-Gallas family, who after the site was abandoned as a glass center, converted the Riedel residential house into a hunting lodge. Today, that lodge is a popular (and very attractive) pension and restaurant, which is well worth seeking out.
• On 29 July 1897, the local meteorological station at Nová Louka measured 345 mm of rainfall, which is possibly still a Central European daily rainfall record. The storms at the end of that July in northern Bohemia caused massive and widely publicised damage – reports even appeared in the 31 July 1897 edition of the New York Times. The consequence was the creation of series of protective dams along northern Bohemian rivers. One of these dams created the Bedřichov reservoir, which was finally completed in 1905.
• Today, the Bedřichov reservoir is a popular scenic spot in the Jizersky mountains. As it not used for drinking purposes, the grassy lakeshore is accessible for swimming and sun-bathing. The trail leading from Nová Louka, running beside the lake along a protective plank walkway, is one of the nicest in the area.
• The suggested route is on a mix of mountain roads and forest footpaths, none of which are steep, but the forest sections are not viable with a stroller. As Bedřichov is already quite high in the mountains (above 700m altitude) there is relatively little height to ascend/descend on walks starting from this location. On this particular walk, there is around 300m of height difference (for both the 16 km and 19 km versions).
• The recommended refreshment stop is at the Nová Louka hunting lodge. There are seasonally open snack bars at Kristiánov and at Maliník (just before the final return to Bedřichov centre. Both are worth a stop, when open.

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

• Starting at Bedřichov central car park, next to the stadium area, take the RED marked hiking trail initially on the road heading up hill in the direction of Pitelkův pomníček
• After 1.5 km at the Bedřichovská pětka junction if wanting the 19 km version of the walk, turn right onto the GREEN trail heading towards Přehrada Josefův důl (for the 16 km version remain on the RED trail directly to reach Kristiánov)
• At the Přehrada Josefův důl junction, turn left to join the YELLOW trail heading towards Kristiánov, which is reached in 2.3 km
• At Kristiánov turn left onto the BLUE trail and walk down to Nová Louka, following a section of the educational trail which outlines the history of the glass making centers in the mountains. Nová Louka and the hunting lodge (restaurant) is reached in 2.6 km
• At the trail junction at Nová Louka (continue 150m past the lodge on the BLUE trail) turn right onto the YELLOW trail heading in the direction of Gregorův kříž
• After 1.4 km reach the junction of Za přehradou and here turn left onto the GREEN trail in the direction of Černá Nisa
• The trail follows beside the reservoir (mostly on a wooden walkway) and there are various access points to the lake from the walkway
• The dam is reached after 1.3 km on the walkway. From there continue on the GREEN trail to reach the Bedřichovské sedlo – Maliník junction by the road and parking area after 3.8 km
• At the junction, turn left and follow the RED trail back to Bedřichov-stadion, which is reached in 1.4 km