Self guided hut to hut trekking tour in the highest mountains of Czechia with 2 overnights in traditional mountain huts
A three-day self guided hike along mountain huts in the Giant Mountains National Park. This approx. 30 km long trek goes through both the Polish and the Czech part of the Giant Mountains. The starting point and also the end point is Špindlerův Mlýn. You reach the mountain ridge, but the length of this trek is adapted to those walkers, who wish to enjoy the views, relax or explore the silent surroundings of the chalets. Simple, but attractive mountain huts have good facilities (showers, toilets, bar, dining room, restaurant, wi-fi), accommodation is provided in private family or private more bedded rooms with their own facilities. The starting point is easily accessible by car or by bus, there is also direct connection from Prague several times a day.
Collapse all tour details
Detailed map of the tour
Tour itinerary
Day 1: from Špindlerův Mlýn to Szrenica refuge (1362 m)
Today the trek starts: on to the “Giants”. For the first kilometers you have two options: the lift or a tough climb. We recommend taking the lift to Medvědín (bear mountain), with which you cover about 480 meters in height in 15 minutes. For the real die-hard there is of course the possibility to cover this height difference on foot from Špindlerův Mlýn.
Easy route: with the chair lift
Once you step off the chair lift on Medvědín 1235 m, you take “Bucharova cesta” up towards Verbatova bouda. After a few hundreds meters you pass Šmídova vyhlídka (Šmídova viewpoint) and soon you reach Vrbatova bouda (Vrbata chalet), suitable for small refreshment. Make sure to continue west from here following the green marked path leading over Harrachovy kameny to a junction called “Růženčina zahrádka”. From here you continue on red marked path called “Ceská cesta” to a place called Labská louka (Labe meadow). Here you join again the green marked path to reach the Vosecká mountain hut and soon the mountain ridge with beautiful panoramic views to polish side of Giant mountains. From the ridge it is only short way to Szrenica mountain refuge in the Polish part of the Giant Mountains National Park for overnight.
- Distance: 10 km
- Climbing: 331 m
- Descent: 219 m
- Overnight: Szrenica mountain hut (1362m)
- interactive map
Challenging route: tough climb steep uphill
Take the red marked path from the centre of Špindlerův Mlýn direction Horní Mísečky mountain village about 3,5 km uphill. The route is called “Vodovodní cesta” (the waterfall route). Make sure to find the right way further up north west direction (the route is called “Stará vozová cesta” to junction “Nad kotelní jámou” approx. 3km from Horní Mísečky. From there you continue on a green marked path over Harrachovy kameny and copy the route of option 1 till the end – Szrenica mountain hut in the Polish part of the Giant Mountains National Park for overnight.
- Distance: 12,6 km
- Climbing: 790 m
- Descent: 163 m
- Overnight: Szrenica mountain hut (1362m)
- interactive map
Day 2: Over the ridge to Moravská bouda (1225 m)
The second day you will walk a part on the Czech – Polish border the path of Czech – Polish friendship. This is truly one of the highlights of this tour! The Polish side is steeper and rougher, while the Czech hills are more gentle and green. In the morning you have to climb out of the valley to the ridge and there you keep walking all day at about the same height. You continue the walk east to Petrovky ( newly reconstructed complex of mountain chalets). In the distance you can already see the mountain peaks Śląskie Kamienie (“Silesian Rocks” 1417 m) and Dívčí kameny (“Maiden Rocks” 1413 m) with separate rock formations up to 8 m high. At the end of this day trip you descend from Petrovka until you reach Moravská Bouda.
- Distance: 10,3 km
- Climbing: 323 m
- Descent: 445 m
- Overnight: Moravská bouda chalet (1225 m)
- interactive map
Day 3: From Moravská bouda via Špindlerova Bouda (1199 m) back to the valley (800 m)
Today is an easy day of effort. After breakfast you will take a short light walk on the ridge to the mountain hut Špindlerova bouda (1199 m) where you have the choice to do the descent to the valley with scooters (suitable for adults and families with children from 6 years, available every day 9-16 with direct payment on spot), or you can take the shuttle bus to the valley. You can of course also choose to do the entire descent on foot. You then have a long descent of about 6 km ahead of you, which largely goes through the seamount forests of the slopes.
Once again in Špindlerův Mlýn, the hike has come to an end, the Giant Mountains have been explored.
- Distance: 2,6 km (alt. 6 km)
- Climbing: 26 m
- Descent: 56 m
- Overnight: none
- interactive map
What's included and excluded?
- 2 overnights in mountain huts - private 3-5 bedded rooms with own bathroom
- 2 x full board (breakfast, lunch packet, dinner)
- Map with detailed routes (topographical 1:40.000) and separate detailed route description
- Information package
- Emergency hotline
- Luggage storage (only if extra night is booked preceding the tour)
- ATOL comparable security by SGR (Dutch)
- Tour extension: extra stay prior or after the tour
- Parking fee in the public parking area in Špindlerův Mlýn
- Luggage storage ( included in the package price if extra night prior to the tour is booked)
- Scooter downhill ride from Špindlerova bouda to Špindlerův Mlýn on day 3
- Public shuttle bus from Špindlerova bouda to Špindlerův Mlýn on day 3
Video
Accommodations
Hotel Esprit
Located in the Svatý Petr Valley, part of Špindlerův Mlýn, 2.5 km from the center, Hotel Esprit offers cozy accommodation in 2 buildings. The third part of the hotel is the main building with a restaurant and a terrace with barbecue facilities.
- Star rating:
- Website: website
- Address : Svatý Petr 76-78, 543 51 Špindlerův Mlýn, Czechia – Špindlerův Mlýn
- Elevation : 1094 m
Mountain hut Szrenica
The Szrenica mountain hut is located a few hundred meters across the border with Poland and is an ideal destination after a long day of hiking through the Giant Mountains. The refuge is known for delicious blueberry pancakes.
- Star rating:
- Website: website
- Address : Szrenica I, 58-580 Szklarska Poręba, Poland – Nationaal Park Krkonoše
- Elevation : 1362 m
General travel information
Difficulty Grade: Easy to Moderate ( )
Appropriate for regular walkers. Requires reasonable level of fitness. The trip covers an average of 18 km (5-7 hours) of hiking per day, with a possibility of extended walks (read more about explanation of our difficulty grades). Minimum ages depends ofcourse per kid but we recommand from 12 years.
Route Navigation in the field
You will walk mostly on rocky roads and even some paved roads. All trails are well-marked in the field. We advise to follow only the marked trails and never try to shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. Off trail walking is strongly forbidden. We will provide you with detailed navigation instructions and maps (1:40.000 or 1:25.000). You can call us 24/7 for assistance (however preferably during working hours only).
More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your booking documents.
Best time to go
This trip as available from April until October. April you still will find some remnants of snow on the ridges. The weather for walking is optimal in June – September. However July and August can sometimes be quite warm and weekends can be busy at some hot spots.
The busiest months are july and august. If you want to travel in that specific term, it is preferable that you book as early as possible. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates and you can start your holiday on any date in the season, therefore please indicate desired starting date when booking.
Weather
The climate is typical for Central Europe. Humid summers with occasional hot spells, and cold, cloudy and humid winters. If you are planning a trip to the Czech Republic, weather will probably be one of your concerns. Czech Republic’s climate is comparable to that of southern inland Canada. Summer in the Czech Republic typically covers the period from June through mid-September. Czech summers are usually mild (20-27°C/70-80°F) and somewhat humid, with the highest temperatures up to 30-35°C/85-95°F (occasionally higher) for short periods. Such heat waves can be expected in July and August. Sudden showers and thunderstorms are common, so bring an umbrella or be prepared to dash for cover.
Recommanded weather information: yr.no
What to bring
We recommend that you travel as light as possible because airlines nowadays charge larges fees for luggage above 15kg. Ideally, you should bring one piece of luggage weighing not more than 25 kg (to be checked in) and a daily pack (15 – 20 l backpack) for your daily essentials (snacks, drinking water, camera, etc). Below is a indicative list of what you should bring with you on this trip. More detailed information will be included in your booking information documents. If you need further advice, please contact us or ask at you local outdoor retailer.
- Good hiking boots (we have seen hikers on sneakers though)
- Hiking socks (at least 2 pairs or 3 pairs on the longer trips)
- Several t-shirts (cotton or preferably breathable/fast drying)
- Waterproof and windproof jacket with hood
- Synthetic mid layer or warm fleece
- Shoes/slippers – to relax and wear inside accommodation (shower / toilet)
- Sunglasses, sunscreen skin protector and lip salve
- Hat/Baseball cap
- First Aid kit (aspirine, diaria profilact)
- A good book 🙂
