Cycling to Jizerka
Harrachov offers one of the most beautiful cycle routes in the Krkonoše Mountains. It is a circular route that connects the Krkonoše and Jizera Mountains in a single trip. You can look forward to technical landmarks, mountain cottages, panoramic views and peaceful forest stretches. Set off directly from OREA Resort Sklář or from the public car park in the centre of Harrachov. Before you set off on your bike, don’t forget to pack a snack at breakfast. At OREA, you can put together your own snack to suit your taste and pack it into the bags provided.
Route details
Length: 26 km (from the car park) / 28.6 km (from OREA Resort Sklář)
Bike type: mountain bike, trekking bike, gravel bike, e-bike
Difficulty: moderate (part of the route follows a Class I road; if you wish to avoid this, you’ll need to skip Pilský Waterfall)
Elevation gain: 540 m
Surfaces: mainly tarmac and hard-surfaced paths, with some gravel, forest or rockier sections
Where does the route go?
From Harrachov, the route heads along the Mumlava stream towards Kořenov. On the way, you’ll pass Pilský Waterfall. However, this part of the route follows a Class I road, so expect heavier traffic. The route can, of course, be adjusted to avoid this section.
In Kořenov, the railway station with its Rack Railway Museum is well worth a stop. From Kořenov, continue via Polubný, where you can take a break at the former windmill in Horní Polubný. As you head towards Jizerka, the landscape begins to change. There are more and more open meadows and wooded areas. Along the way, you’ll come across several examples of Czechoslovak light fortifications. In the vicinity of Kořenov, you will find around fifty so-called ‘řopíky’, which were built between 1936 and 1938 as part of a defensive line on the border between the Jizera Mountains and the Krkonoše Mountains.
One of the most beautiful spots on the entire circuit is the hamlet of Jizerka. It is one of the most picturesque places in the Jizera Mountains and lies amidst a landscape of mountain meadows, peat bogs and dark cottages at the foot of Bukovec Hill. Nearby lies the Jizerky Peat Bog National Nature Reserve, the largest accessible peat bog in the Jizera Mountains. From Jizerka, the route descends towards Údolí naděje and back to Kořenov, from where you can return to Harrachov off the main road.
Harrachov is one of the best-known mountain resorts in the western Krkonoše Mountains. It is renowned for its glassmaking tradition, ski jumps, the cable car to Čertova hora, and its excellent facilities for hiking, cycling and winter sports.
Pilský Waterfall is a small water feature near Harrachov. It is not a traditional natural waterfall, but a modified watercourse that forms a picturesque cascade in a woodland setting. It is situated between Harrachov and Kořenov, near the road running alongside the Mumlava stream.
The museum is housed in the Kořenov railway station building itself and traces the history of the unique Tanvald–Kořenov–Szklarska Poręba rack-and-pinion railway line, displaying photographs, documents, models, rack-and-pinion gear mechanisms and other railway exhibits.
The Polubný windmill is a striking example of industrial heritage, commemorating the historical use of wind power in mountainous conditions. It is an example of mountain folk architecture, illustrating how the local inhabitants managed to cope with the harsh conditions of the Jizera Mountains.
Jizerka patří mezi nejmalebnější horské osady v České republice. Leží v nadmořské výšce kolem 850–860 m a je obklopena rašeliništi, horskými loukami a přírodou Jizerských hor. Je oblíbeným cílem cyklistů i pěší turistů díky klidné atmosféře a otevřené krajině.
Údolí naděje (known in German as Hoffnungstal) is a peaceful mountain hamlet in Kořenov, in the Jizera River valley on the border between the Krkonoše and Jizerské Mountains. In the past, glassmaking was practised here; today it is a holiday and tourist destination.
