Cable car
From Pec pod Sněžkou.
Radosław Dybała — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hermod — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Andrzej Nowak — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Vladyslav Zolotarevskyi — CC BY-SA 4.0 · *fiedler* — CC BY-SA 3.0
Sněžka is a mountain on the border between Czechia and Poland in the Krkonoše, or Giant Mountains, about 5 km north of the town of Pec pod Sněžkou and 118 km northeast of Prague in a straight line. Its summit, at 1,603 metres, is the highest point in Czechia and in the whole Sudetes range. Sněžka was one of the first European mountains to draw tourists, thanks to its fairly easy ascent and the spa resorts of nearby Silesia. The first recorded ascent dates from 1456, by a Venetian merchant searching for precious stones. Mining communities later settled on the mountain to dig for copper and iron, and their tunnels still survive. The summit is a bare rocky dome above the treeline, topped by the round, disc-shaped buildings of a Polish weather observatory and a small stone chapel. From there green ridges and deep valleys spread in every direction; strong winds are common, and snow covers the top for months each year. A cable car runs from Pec pod Sněžkou to the summit, or walkers take trails from the Czech or Polish side in three to four hours. The weather changes quickly, so bring warm clothes even in summer.
From Pec pod Sněžkou.
Disc-shaped buildings.
Over the Giant Mountains.
Krkonoše mountains, on the Czech-Polish border
By cable car from Pec pod Sněžkou, or on foot.
Warm clothes, even in summer.