August 15-17

Hiking from Račí údolí to Králický Sněžník (38 km)

Birds of the sunny land! Blue winds that beckon me! To flap my wings to soar over mountains and groves! (…) Birds, I will hesitate no longer! Gentle winds blow in the sails, lead me, I do not resist, where? oh, I do not want to ask anymore. — Joseph von Eichendorff / Desire

First day on Saturday, August 15 (9.5 – 10 km):

Crayfish Valley – Hranicky: We will set off on our journey after lunch at 2 pm from Račí údolí by the Dance Hall. We will set off on The Devil's Pulpits and on to ruins of Rychleby castle and then along Kaštanová ale to Red mine up to Chapel of St. Roch. From here to Nové Vilémovice, where Michal Kristýnek will introduce us to his ritual site, which he takes care of. Then we will continue to a beautiful corner of the Rychlebské Mountains, the site of an extinct village Borders, near the state border with Poland, where we spend the night.

Second on Sunday, August 16 (20 km):

Borders – Kladské saddle: From Hraničky we will take the red route along the state border with Poland to Pointer (957 m above sea level), after it we turn green and go over Bordering (927 m above sea level) and Anvil (989 m above sea level), we cross the state border and enter Poland. We pass through Biala Ledecka to Jivina and from there along the state border to Polish mountain (1106 m above sea level). From there we will travel to Kladský sedlo and spend the night there.

Third day on Monday, August 17 (9 km):

Kladské saddle – Králický Sněžník: From Kladský saddle we will continue following the green sign until Rabbit Snowman (1424 m above sea level), which is a total of 9 km. From here, pilgrims who will end their journey here will head to Králíky or to Old Town on the train or bus home. // Pilgrims who will continue on to Sněžka will set off the same day from Králický Sněžník following the green sign on Little Snowman (1326 m above sea level) see the following invitation.

August 17—25

Hiking from Králický Sněžník to Sněžka (194 km)

View of Králický Sněžník from Mariánský hill

The depth of strange silence, how lonely the surroundings! The silence of the forests barely breathes, as if a god were walking through the field! I feel as if I have been re-created from all worries and all woes. What was I tormented by yesterday, how can I not be ashamed of it now? Behind me is the world with its joys and sorrows, now like an exalted pilgrim I want to cross the bridge over the abysses where the stream of time is carried away. — Joseph von Eichendorff / Morning

First day on Monday, August 17 (13 km):

Rabbit Snowman – Bialek: Pilgrims who will continue to Sněžka will Králický Sněžník they will follow the green sign to Little Snowman (1326 m above sea level) and Boundary rocks (1319 m above sea level) and continue along the green path to the saddle Puchach (1108 m above sea level) and from there across the state border following the yellow sign to Black Row and across the blue Ostoja intersection up to Snieznické Park Krajobrazowy to the mountain Bialek (741 m above sea level), where we will spend the night. 

Day two, August 18 (23 km):

Bialek–Niemojow: We will come out of Snieznické Park Krajobrazového and we will continue along the blue to Miedzylesie and from there continue along the yellow line to the border crossing AdamFrom here we follow the red trail Hřebenovka–Jirásková on the way through Czech Petrovice and Sneaky except for Earth Gate. From here on through Orlická chata to Bartošovice in the Orlické Mountains. Here we cross the border bridge into Poland and visit the settlement Niemojow with romantic castle ruins and the Baroque Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary. We spend the night behind the church.

Third day August 19 (25 km):

Niemojow – Velka Deštna: From Niemojowa we will go along the river Wild Eagles to the settlement Upper Orlicewhere we will visit the freely accessible beautiful Church of St. John of NepomukFrom there we will continue to Neratova, a place of pilgrimage where we will visit the reconstructed originally Baroque Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary with an impressive glass roof. From Neratova we will follow the yellow at the crossroads Intermountain and from there along the red Po trail ridge of the Orlické Mountains on Five ways and through The Kunštátskop chapel, hills Capercaillie (1041 m above sea level) and Homoli (1001 m above sea level) up to Great Rain (1115 m above sea level), the highest peak of the Orlické Mountains. We will visit a beautiful new lookout tower that was built last year; we will enjoy the beautiful view of the surrounding landscape and spend the night in a meadow by the forest.

Day Four August 20 (15 km):

Velka Deštná – Olešnice in the Orlické Mountains: From Velké Deštné We will follow the red trail Po ridge of the Otrlické Mountains under Mala Deštna (1091 m above sea level) on Šerlich cottage (Masaryk's cottage) and from there through Šerlich hill (1027 m above sea level), Polomský hill (1051 m above sea level), beautiful hill Upper border (1084 m above sea level) – previously one of the most visited hills of the Orlické Mountains – and Blackberry (982 m above sea level) up to Olesnice in the Orlické Mountainswhere we go out to Feist Hill (711 m above sea level) and a lookout tower. We spend the night under the lookout tower.

Day Five, August 21 (25 km):

Olešnice in the Orlické Mountains – Velká Hejšovina – Božanovský Špičák: We will leave in the morning Feist Hills across the state border to Poland – via Jerzywice Male after yellow to Jawornice up to Green Peoplewhere we turn off the red road up the hill Grodczyn (803 m above sea level). From here we will continue along the green and then red lines to Kulin, Klodzki and from there, following the green marked path, we enter the beautiful Park Narodowe Gor Stolowych. Between the mountains Rogowa Kopa (793 m above sea level) and Birthplace (849 m above sea level) we enter Karlow, the original center of this beautiful natural area. From Karlow we climb the highest mountain of the Table Mountains Velkou Hejšovina / Szczeliniec Wielki (919 m above sea level), where we will see the rock formation "Grandpa's chair"and then we will continue through the village Pasterka to Mach's Cross at the state border, where we enter Bohemia. We will go down to Polické slopes under Divine Caninewhere we will spend the night. 

Day Six August 22 (26 km):

Božanovský Špičák – Skály castle (Jiráskovy skály): From Polické slopes we are going to the crossroads Pan's Cross and from there into the interior of the rock formations Božanovský Špičák, highest areas Broumov walls; we will climb to its peak 773 m above sea level and to the viewpoint, from where there is a beautiful view of Table Mountains, and we will see the rock formations Squirrel, Cat, Anvil, Camel and others. We will continue on Green grove and continue along the yellow to the top Crowns (769 m above sea level) and to the beautiful rock formation Stone gates under The Great Heap (708 m above sea level) From here we head to Hare's Gorge and at the crossroads Above the FamousThen follow the red (Hřebenovka) on Stone Mushrooms, Blue stone, Lord's Tower and Vulture's nest (702 m above sea level) and from there to Star with the Baroque chapel of Our Lady of the Snows by KIDientzenhofer. From Stars we will follow the red line through Hlavnov to the beautiful Table Mountain Ostash (700 m above sea level) with fantastic rock formations. From here we will continue along Cat Rocks over Grandfather and Maple to the Jirásek Rocks with the castle Rocks and the castle BischofsteinWe spend the night here. 

Day Seven August 23 (24 km):

Hrádek Skály – Trutnov- Violetiny: In the morning we will go up to the rock lookout tower Stork (786 m above sea level) and from there we follow the green and then the yellow path into the interior Adrspach Rocks. Then we go down the blue and green paths to the village Janovice and continue along the red line to RadvanicFrom here we will continue under the hill Zaltman (740 m above sea level) along the Čapek brothers' trail up to Deadlines. We will go through Trutnov-Poříčí and following the yellow we will reach the suburban village Violets, and we spend the night behind her in the forest.

Day 8, August 24 (25 km):

Trutnov-Violotiny-Mala Upa: From Violets we will take the yellow and then the red (Cesta bratří Čapeků) through Beech tree, Vebrovka, Castle Hill (635 m above sea level), Stachelberg Fortress, Dvorsky forest (1036 m above sea level) and Rýchora hut and then along the yellow until Horní MaršovWe will explore the village (the beautiful Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary), have lunch and continue along the blue, yellow and red paths through Lower Lysečiny and Upper Lysečiny to Malé ÚpyWe will spend the night here on the edge of the forest in a meadow, or we will stay in a guesthouse. 

Day Nine August 25 (16 km):

Mala Upa – Snezka (Pec pod Snezkou): From Malé Úpy we will follow the yellow to Upper Malé Úpy and on to Svorowa Mountain (1411 m above sea level) and from there follow the red line to Snow White (1603 m above sea level): length 9 km. (Alternative route: we'll sleep over in Horní Maršovfrom where we will set off the next day Snow White over Lower Mala Upa, Sagasser's huts and Rose Hill: length 14 km.) On Sněžka we will meet our fellow pilgrims, led by Vlado Drábek, who will arrive on Sněžka as part of the Máchov "Krkonoše pilgrimage" from Prague. Together we will then descend along the blue trail to Giant mine and on until Furnaces under Sněžkoufrom where we will return to Prague by bus. 

Notice: If you do not go with us for the entire journey, you can join us anywhere and go with us for as long as you want. We do not provide accommodation in advance, you sleep under the open sky. Everyone is free on the journey and is responsible for themselves. We ask for your tolerance towards other pilgrims. 

Connections on August 25 from Pec pod Sněžkou to Prague

Bus: Pec pod Snezkou (departure) 12:37) → Svoboda nad Úpou (arrival 12:57) → Train: Svoboda nad Úpou (departure 13:07) → Trutnov (arrival 13.23) → Train: Trutnov (departure 13:41) → Hradec Králové (arrival 14:56) →Train: Hradec Králové (departure 15:08) → Prague, main station (reception) 16:49)

Bus: Pec pod Snezkou (departure) 14:00) → Prague, Černý Most (reception) 17:07)

Contacts

George Zemanek

sarvanga@centrum.cz
777 117 466

Tomas Hruza

tomashruza@gmail.com
775 052 607

Michal Kristynek

misotec@protonmail.com
776 248 098

"I believe that a lot of good would come from a change in attitude, if tourists became pilgrims again."

Rupert Sheldrake