A walk to the ‘highest’ Czech mountain, Sněžka (1603m) starting in Horní Malá Úpa: 14 km

• The summit of Sněžka is actually (by a few meters) located in Poland. However, the Czech part of the mountain is still nearly 50m higher than the next biggest Czech peak (Luční hora at 1555m), so Sněžka remains an iconic peak to climb for all Czechs (and lots of other nationalities too). This is despite the summit being one of the windiest and coldest places in the country (Sněžka holds the national windspeed record at 223 km/h).
• Sněžka can be climbed on trails from all four quadrants of compass. The eastern approach starting in Horní Malá Úpa may be one of the least dramatic, but it is one of easier routes, with a round trip of less than 14 km involving no more than 700m of ascent (if taking the most direct route). The village of Horní Malá Úpa can be reached by bus from various points and there is even an occasional direct bus from Prague. There are extensive (quite expensive) parking areas off the main street.
• The village, which is located directly on the Czech/Polish border at a crossing point, is worth a trip even if not planning on climbing Sněžka. It boasts the country’s highest brewery (at 1045m), Pivovar Trautenberk, and a growing number of stylish pension-restaurants. Try the Chata Hradečanka for its Italian restaurant (including pizza from a wood-fired oven) and an astonishing wine collection.
• Three different trails set off westwards from Horní Malá Úpa towards Sněžka. These converge at the Jelenka mountain hut (refreshments available) at approximately the halfway point, before continuing on a single path to the summit. The shortest route between Jelenka and Horní Malá Úpa is the YELLOW trail (3.3 km). This follows an asphalt road and so is useful for a fast return journey, if needed.
• The other two trails to Jelenka are more classic mountain paths. The longest option is the BLUE trail (4.9 km) which runs along the border line and is used as for the Via Czechia and Stezka Českem long distance trails (see the separate article on these trails). The middle route (RED marked) is 3.7 km long and starts as an asphalt road before becoming a mountain track. This route is also a nature trail, focused on the life of the deer in the Krkonoše mountains.
• For the Sněžka round trip, for variety perhaps choose one path for the ascent and another for the descent. The BLUE trail is slightly more scenic but is clearly longer and does undulate more than the other two trails, so there is more height gained-lost on this route. For this reason, in the map below, the RED route is chosen for the ascent and the YELLOW for the descent. This creates a 14 km round trip, with 730m of height gained-lost.

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

• Starting in the center of the village, follow the signs for the RED trail to Sněžka. The RED trail leads directly to the summit in 7 km
• Return back along the RED trail as far as Jelenka and there join the YELLOW trail heading towards Pod Jelenkou. Stay on the YELLOW all the way back to Horní Malá Úpa