Trek to the highest mountain in the Czech Republic - Snezka

Ascent to Sněžka from Pec pod Sněžkou

Starting point

Paid parking in Pec pod Sněžkou near the dam in the Beech Valley.
 

Description of the hike

At the car park we joined the blue tourist sign and set off in the direction of Sněžka. The route leads first along the asphalt road around the river Úpa. We passed the lower station of the cable car to Sněžka and continued on. The climb is very gentle. After about 3 kilometres the asphalt road ends and the classic mountain trail continues. Here also begins a steeper climb, the trail cuts into the slope of Sněžka. Just below the peak we passed the waterfalls of the Rudný Brook. Then followed the final ascent to the Giant's Saddle, where the Silesian House is located. This hut is already on the Polish side.

There weren't that many tourists on the way here. That changed radically at the Silesian House. From there, crowds of people went up to Snezka. The road is wide, piled with stones. There are two ways to reach the top. Take the blue path, the gentler way, or the red path, the steeper way. We chose this way too. Finally we reached the top of Snezka. We had a hot dog and lemonade in the refreshment room. Unfortunately, the weather started to deteriorate quickly. Originally we wanted to descend at least to the cable car transfer station on Růžová hora. In the end we used the cable car from the top and made a nice descent back to Pec pod Sněžkou and back to the car.
 

Difficulty

Technically simple climb, during which it is necessary to overcome a relatively high altitude (almost 800 metres). The steepest passage is probably the final ascent to the top, the ascent to the Silesian House is also steeper. But in general there is no steep or otherwise difficult section on the route. From the Silesian House it is also difficult to absorb the crowds of tourists heading to Sněžka. Older children can manage the route.
 

Water availability

Refreshments are at the very top of Sněžka and then, of course, at the Silesian House. It is good to take at least 1.5 litres per person.
 

Sleeping options

It is probably possible to stay overnight at the Slezsky Dom. Alternatively, there are plenty of options in Pec pod Sněžkou and its surroundings.
 

Mountain peaks

The main reason for the trek is to climb our highest mountain Sněžka 1 603 m above sea level. The views are logically undisturbed and it is possible to overlook the Krkonoše Mountains and the wide surroundings. In good weather you can see for example Praděd in Jeseníky.
 

Danger

The route is technically very simple and there is no exposed section. It is marked paths all the way. These are of course very rocky, so it can be slippery in wet conditions. The main danger is probably the weather, which can change very quickly. Which we experienced first hand.
 

Food

It's cooking at the Slezsky Dom. But it's already on the Polish side. The buffet is also right on Snezka. They have, for example, hot dogs or various bars.
 

Attractions

The cable car to Sněžka has a long history. Its construction began in 1946. The first section to the Pink Mountain was put into operation in 1949, to the summit in 1950. The cable car immediately became very popular. Tens of thousands of people used it in its first year of operation. There were queues for several hours for the cable car. It was a suspended two-seater cable car. It could carry 250 people per hour. Between 2011 and 2013, the cable car was replaced by a modern four-person cable car. The reconstruction cost 250 million. CZK.