Leisure time

SKI A BIKE AREÁL TANVALDSKÝ ŠPIČÁK

Five minutes away by car is Tanvaldský Špičák, the largest ski area in the Jizera Mountains, which offers 6 km of slopes of all levels of difficulty with technical snowmaking along its entire length. You can reach the top of the slopes on one of the two four-seater cable cars. The area has a total of 5 lifts and offers 10 slopes. For the youngest skiers and their lessons in the area you will find a mobile carpet SUNKID. Evening skiing on the Zalomený lift in the Tanvaldský Špičák II resort.

The Tanvald Špičák is a paradise not only for skiers, but also for bikers. Trails are currently being built – blue, red and technical black – with a total length of about 8 km. The trails lead through the forest from the top of Špičák and are about 1 m wide. As you descend them, you will overcome various bends and terrain irregularities. These are not downhill trails full of jumps and wooden obstacles. The trails are intended for the general cycling public and can be enjoyed by skilled children, but will also be enjoyed by experienced bikers. For the way up it is possible to use the cable car or the road leading through Albrechtice to the top of Špičák.

https://www.skijizerky.cz/

HARRACHOV SPORTS AREA

This Krkonoše resort is one of the best in the country. You have at your disposal both a wide network of regularly maintained cross-country trails and countless slopes of various levels of difficulty. The cable car Harrachov – Čertova hora, Delta is open all year round, so if you want to go hiking on the ridges of the Giant Mountains, do not hesitate. The path of the cable car measures 1300m and its elevation is 298m. You have a choice of another four-seater cable car and then other lifts that will take you to the Devil’s Mountain or to the ski jumps and you can go down on your own. This centre is also the centre of jumping sport, so if you are only a passive athlete, come to Harrachov to at least cheer, one way or another it’s worth it. You will also find, for example, programs in the rope centre, adrenaline fun in Vertical Park, bobsled track with Monkey Park, bowling, quad biking, geocaching, golf course and simulator, indoor tennis court, scooters, swimming pool with minigolf, multifunctional playground, rafts and boating activities. squash, tandem flying and paragliding, tennis courts, relaxation and wellness centres with swimming pools, etc.
www.skiareal.com

SWIMMING POOL IN JABLONCI NAD NISOU

15 minutes by car from our cottage you will find a swimming pool with water slide and other attractions for children and adults. The 25m swimming pool with 8 lanes will be used mainly by fans of fitness and sports swimming. The water in the swimming pool is regulated up to 28 ° C. The children’s pool for the youngest visitors offers, among other things, a paddling pool, a spout, a water mushroom and a children’s slide KOBRA. The water in this pool is chemically treated with respect to sensitive baby skin. It is intended exclusively for children under 10 years of age. The attraction pool, or recreational pool, together with two water slides is the main attraction for visitors to this area. Here you will find hot tubs, a massage bench, a water curtain and a predatory river. Water slides are one of the popular attractions among visitors. There is a yellow water slide with a length of 82 meters and a red turbo slide. Each of the hot tubs can accommodate up to six people and the water in them is heated to a maximum of 32 ° C
www.bazenjbc.cz

AQUAPARK BABYLON IN LIBEREC

Aquapark in the style of Jules Verne’s stories! The atrium hall is decorated with a large-format painting telling the story of a fantastic world that lived in the imagination of people from the 19th century. The painting, together with the lighthouse, the wind turbine and the nine-meter light organ, complemented the interior in the style of Captain Nemo’s mysterious realm. You can drift through a wild river or take the Tarzan Trail. An adrenaline funnel is also an amazing experience. The water temperature in the pools is 27 – 30 ° C all year round. From July to August, an outdoor terrace with swimming pools, a trampoline, sunbathing facilities and beautiful views of Ještěd Mountain and the city of Liberec is open. The world-class wellness centre brings a number of relaxation options for achieving harmony of body and soul. Saunas in the style of ancient baths, salt and herbal inhalations, whirlpools, a salt mine and other original experiences will ensure you a really good rest and relaxation. In this centre you will also find Aqua

In this centre you will also find QPARK – a science centre adapted for families with children aged 3 – 10 years. Here, children learn the basic principles and functioning of natural laws and get to know the world around them through play, experiments and fun. They use the exhibits very intuitively without the need for the art of reading. Bored, but certainly not older children or adults either.

https://www.centrumbabylon.cz/

iQLANDIA V LIBEREC

iQLandia is a modern science centre with a planetarium, hundreds of original exhibits, opportunities for experimentation, playing, rehearsals for young and old, and a restaurant with a children’s corner. The above and many more can be found in Liberec, directly opposite the Babylon Centre. Parking is possible directly at iQLandia, at the entrance you can discount parking by buying a ticket to the world of science. In winter it is possible to store in locker rooms or boxes. The boxes are originally marked according to the abbreviations of chemical elements. When science is said, it sounds boring to many… But you won’t be bored for a second! Right in the lobby you will be amazed by the beautiful fountain, which has not only music but also light effects. And the shapes you paint on your computer board run down the water wall to the sounds of music.
https://iqlandia.cz/

ZOO IN  LIBEREC

Liberec Zoo is the oldest zoo in the former Czechoslovakia. It was established in 1904 by the Ornithological Society. The first animals at the opening of the Liberec Zoo in September 1904 were roe deer, which gradually increased to six. And a water world for waterfowl began to be built. From a roe enclosure and ponds for birds, a small zoo soon developed on more distant land in the creek valley. The variegated birds, roe deer, sheep and small animals were soon joined by other animals. Even before the First World War, in addition to small animals from all over the world, birds of prey, snakes, lizards, fish, porcupines, monkeys and wild buffalo were kept in the garden.

More than 170 species of animals are bred in the 13-hectare area of ​​the oldest zoo in the Czech Republic. Apart from white tigers, one of the most complete collections of predators on the old continent is unique.

http://www.zooliberec.cz/

PALACKÝ TRAIL

The Palacký Trail leads through the most beautiful section of the Kamenice River valley. The red-marked Palacký Road leads from Tanvald via Velké Hamry and Plava to the romantic valley of the mountain river Kamenice, which cuts wildly between the rocks to the confluence with the Jizera in Spálov. The road was named after the important Czech politician and historian František Palacký. On the opposite bank, the flow of the river follows the railway line from Železný Brod to Tanvald. The Palacký Trail was established in 1912 thanks to the KČT. In Podspálov, an important crossroads of tourist routes, at the confluence of the Jizera and Kamenice rivers, the Palacký Trail meets the Rieger Trail. The Palacký Trail passes around the Bozkov Dolomite Caves and directly below the ruins of the Návarov Castle, founded in the second half of the 14th century above the confluence of the Kamenice and Zlatoolešnický streams. The total length of the Palacký Trail is 20.5 km.
https://www.kudyznudy.cz

RIEGER’S TRAIL

Rieger’s Trail is a 3.5 km long nature trail leading from the Bítouchov – Semily district to Spálov. The trail guides visitors along the right bank of the Jizera River and passes through the Jizera Valley Nature Reserve near Semily and Bítouchov. The road is partly broken in the rock, passes through four tunnels and along a 77 m long suspension bridge 6 m above the river – the rock blocks reach a height of 40 m. Böm’s viewpoint with a nice view of the river was also built on the trail. The history of the Rieger Trail dates back to the end of the 19th century, when the Czech Tourist Club built the so-called old part of the Rieger Trail, a 1.3 km long road from Železný Brod to the confluence of the Kamenice and Jizera rivers. In 1901, the trail was to be extended to Semily, but the petitioners encountered resistance from the then landowner, who did not have good relations with the city. It was not until 1909 that the construction of the so-called new part of the trail from Podspálov to Semily began.
https://www.kudyznudy.cz

JIZERKA

Jizerka is an important tourist crossroads and offers exceptional opportunities for hiking, excellent terrain for mountain biking and cross-country trails in winter. The first mention of the settlement is from 1539. It was later inhabited by lumberjacks and precious stone collectors. In the middle of the 19th century, two glassworks were established here, one of which is still in use today. The foundation of the first glassworks is also reminded by a stone pyramid in the middle of the settlement. You can learn about the history and natural wealth of the Jizerka settlement and the Jizera Mountains by visiting the museum, which is located in the old school. In the settlement there is a monument to an important native and an obelisk at the Pyramida cottage. The stream of the same name flows through the settlement, as well as the Sapphire Stream, where there used to be a famous gemstone deposit (sapphires, rubies, chalcedony, topaz, etc.). There are mountain-type cottages and chalets scattered around the streams, mostly all-wood, some with decorative elements (Stará pila, Panský dům, Pyramida…). Today, most houses are used for recreational purposes. The dominant feature of the Jizerka is one of the highest basalt igneous rocks in Central Europe, a hill called Bukovec (1005 m). There is a state nature reserve and an educational trail passes through here as well as the whole Jizerka. Directly in the settlement there is a strictly protected upland meadow and peat bog Jizera.
https://jizerka.ceskehory.cz/

LOOKOUT ŠTĚPÁNKA

The neo-Gothic Štěpánka is the oldest lookout tower in the Jizera Mountains standing on the top of Hvězda. Its construction was started by Prince Camille Rohan in 1847. In the same year, the construction of the imperial Krkonoše road took place down in the valleys, whose patron was Archduke Stephan – Štěpán, who climbed to the top. Access is on foot along marked hiking trails from Tanvald, Kořenov and Příchovice, by car you can drive to the cottage Hvězda about 300 m below the top. There is a legend about Štěpánek, according to which Prince Rohan stopped the construction on the warning of a gypsy – a quarrel, which predicted that he would die soon after the completion of the tower. The lookout tower was completed in 1892 and Prince Rohan actually died within a month later.… they rode sleighs and skis. There is traditionally a wooden stall with refreshments near Štěpánka, and a stone table with a bench at its entrance is also interesting. Behind the tower you can find the ruins of a stone war cross, which was supposed to be a symbolic place of the local Nazis during World War II.
https://www.kudyznudy.cz/

LOOKOUT BLACK STUDNICE

The Černa studnice lookout tower, which lies on an 869 m above sea level high peak and is visible from almost the entire Jizera Mountains and the surrounding area. The project was commissioned in 1885 by the architect Robert Hemmrich and the building itself by the builder Corazza. The demanding construction of the entire mountain complex took about a year. The fact that the builder Corazza used up to three tons of granite blocks on 160 centimeters thick walls also seems admirable. With its 26 meters, Černá Studnice is one of the highest stone lookout towers in the Jizera Mountains. A total of 91 steps lead up and through the glass doors you gradually ascend to four galleries from which, as usual, there is an impressive view. The lookout tower offers a circular view of the surrounding peaks of the Jizera Mountains with many lookout towers (Královka, Tanvaldský Špičák, Bramberk), Ještěd, Ralsko, Kozákov, Trosky Castle and the surrounding area of ​​Bohemian Paradise, as well as Bezděz Castle and Sněžka with other Krkonoše peaks. You can reach Černá studnice by car or bicycle directly to the top. From the cottage you can go on a beautiful hike. Follow the yellow uphill to the top of the Muchov hill, where you turn left onto the red and the ridge will lead you to the lookout tower.
https://www.kudyznudy.cz/

JÁRA CIMRMAN MUSEUM AND LIGHTHOUSE LOOKOUT IN PŘÍCHOVICE

The museum houses a large part of Jára Cimrman’s estate, which is still kept in the depositories of the JC company and theater in Prague. A significant part of the collections was also newly acquired thanks to citizens from Pojizeří and the surrounding area, who donated a number of “authentic monuments” to the stay of a genius in the Liptákov region. Among the interesting exhibits you can see the master’s bust, which was already damaged by steaming hats Lešner, the girl’s dress worn by little Jára in his so-called girl period, the broom for cleaning corners, or the painting of the Viennese opponent of Czech Cimrmanologists Erich Fiedler. The building designed by the architect Professor Martin Rajniš was built by the owners of the local recreational area U Čápa. The building is half-sloping into the slope and is lined with excavated stone in place. The lookout tower itself is built of pine wood and its silhouette really resembles a lighthouse.

You will also find outdoor exhibits in the Příchovice Museum. Especially children will enjoy the fairytale forest park, where they will find giant stones, from the arrangement of which children guess the names of fairy tales. The new exhibitions also include a mobile cell designed by Cimrman, in which prisoners can sunbathe

https://www.kudyznudy.cz/aktivity/muzeum-jary-cimrmana-v-prichovicich

RUINS OF NÁVAROV CASTLE

The ruins of Návarov Castle are located only 6 km from our cottage on the already mentioned Palacký Trail. Návarov Castle stood high above the confluence of the Zlatník brook with the Kamenice river and used to be the center of an extensive estate that reached deep into the interior of the Jizera Mountains. The fortress served until the 17th century, before it was deliberately demolished by the imperial army. Návarov Castle, built at the beginning of the 14th century, stood high above the confluence of the Zlatník stream with the Kamenice river and used to be the center of an extensive estate that reached deep into the Jizera Mountains. Access to it was possible only from the south side of the neck, leading to its own rocky promontory, which was protected by three deep ditches carved into the rock. Behind the first moat and the wall with two bastions, one entered the fort, the remains of which have not been preserved. The castle was owned by a number of owners from well-known aristocratic families – first they were the Markvarts, Wallenstein, in the 15th century the castle is owned by King George of Poděbrady. In 1452, Mikuláš Zajíc of Hemburemburk acquired the entire Návar estate from the king. In 1622, after the confiscation of the Smiřice estates, Albrecht of Wallenstein became the owner, who passed this property to Gertrude de Lamotte in 1627. The end of the castle marked the period of the Thirty Years’ War, when the castle was occupied by the Swedes in 1643. They made it a convenient base from which they set out to plunder the wider area. Only after a few months did the imperial army manage to regain the castle. In order not to become a stronghold of the enemy again, he was on the orders of Emperor Ferdinand III. demolished in 1644.

NOTE: The ruins of Návarov Castle are currently unavailable, there is a restoration planned for December 2022!

https://www.kudyznudy.cz/

MUSEUM OF TOY PRODUCTION – JIŘETÍN POD BUKOVOU

The museum of toy production in Jiřetín pod Bukovou should definitely not escape your attention if you like to play, get to know and discover new things. The museum offers the possibility of an excursion to the production with more than a hundred years of tradition. The tour, during which you get acquainted with the entire production process, lasts approximately 50-60 minutes. At the end of the excursion, you can buy products in the company store. For those interested in history, the museum offers a tour of war production during the years 1939 – 1945 and those interested in sports can visit the exhibition dedicated to Rudolf Burkert, the first Czechoslovak medallist of the Winter Olympic Games. Children can then look forward mainly to creative workshops.
www.https://www.detoa.cz

HARRACHOV GLASSWORKS

Muzeum skla, minipivovar s restaurací a A glass museum, a mini-brewery with a restaurant and a hotel with a beer spa can all be achieved during a single visit to the glassworks in Harrachov. The glassworks was founded in 1712 and is the second oldest in the Czech Republic. Its uniqueness is the historic glass grinding mill, powered by transmissions and a water turbine. Everything is almost in its original form and fully functional. The product range consists of luxury drinking glasses, utility glass and crystal chandeliers. In 2002, a mini-brewery with a restaurant was added directly to the glassworks. Here is a view of the metallurgical hall with furnaces, so visitors to the restaurant can see the glassmakers at work. If you have ever thought about what it is like to be a glassblower, you can try it for yourself in the Harrachov glassworks! After prior order, you can try the work of local glassmakers under their professional supervision. You will blow your own flask, which you will take home as a souvenir. Glass blowing, which must be ordered at least a day in advance, is also suitable for women and children. You can reach the glassworks from our cottage in about 20 minutes.
www.sklarnaharrachov.cz