About Lakes and Mountains

MÁCHOVO JEZERO

Máchovo Lake is a big recreation area (350 hectares) on the eastern outskirts of the Bohemian Paradise. Founded in 1366 by the Emperor Charles IV. Surrounded by beautiful pine forests with two rocky islands its banks are used for recreation purposes: sandy beaches, bathing, water sports, windsurfing and yachting. 8 km from the Máchovo Lake there are the ruins of Bezděz Castle on top of a large outstanding hill (604 m) with Gothic chapel and 40 m high Big Tower with panoramic views of the countryside.

ORLÍK

Orlík Lake is a dam on the Vltava River app. 70 km south of Prague surrounded by beautiful pine forests with several rocky islands, its banks are used for recreation purposes: sandy beaches, bathing, water sports, windsurfing and yachting. You can visit Orlík Castle situated on the hill, which offers a gorgeous panoramic view of the countryside.

Orlík Castle is a medieval castle in a Neo-Gothic Style. Its interiors house remarkable collections of items compiled by the Schwarzenberg family. The collection of rifles dates from the17th to 20th century and the beautiful large park can be seen there. You can also visit Zvíkov Castle built in the 13th century in a Gothic Style as one of the most important castles. You can travel by a steam boat between both castles in summer.

MOUNTAINS

The Krkonoše (The Giant Mountains) is one of the Czech mountain resorts (next to the Jizerské Mountains, The Šumava Mountains etc.)

Owing to their alpine character, geological age, unique fauna, distinctive flora and rich history, the Krkonoše Mountains are the most frequently visited mountains in the Czech Republic. There are 700 km of tourist routes both winter and summer. Situated 130 km north east of Prague, they are the highest mountains in Bohemia. The highest peak Snižka is 1602 m above sea level.

The whole area was declared a protected area in 1963 and later became a national park.

In Krkonoše there are very good conditions for both winter and summer tourism with an extensive network of hotels, pensions and chalets that offer accommodation for the tourist and each resort has many restaurants, bars, ski lifts, walking trails and other services. The main resorts are Špindlerův Mlýn, Harrachov, Pec pod Sněžkou, Rokytnice nad Jizerou and Jánské Lázně. Jánské Lázně is also a spa town that specializes in the treatment of walking disorders.

Recently mountain biking has become very popular and in Krkonoše there are many well marked biking trails that can test your abilities. Other activities that attract tourists are horse riding, rock climbing, rafting and paragliding.