06 Pastviny naar Spindleruv Mlyn
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert Leonor Orban - Sr. RouteXpert
Last edit: 17-12-2019
Route Summary
I rode this route in June 2018, together with my partner. The route is part of a 3-week holiday through Eastern Europe. The route leads you from Pastviny to Špindlerův Mlýn, a popular holiday destination in the middle of the Giant Mountains.
The route is approximately 180 kilometers. Not too long, so you have enough time to enjoy all the beauty that you encounter along the way. During the route you pass a number of beautiful nature reserves, but also a number of special points such as the Skull Chapel in Czermna and the Krkonoše Treetop Walkway in Janské Lázn. Both definitely worth a visit!
The route has been made the same for Garmin, TomTom and MyRoute-app Navigation.
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Animation
Verdict
Duration
4h 7m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
179.49 km
Countries
krkonoše National Park (Giant Mountains)
RouteXpert Review
This ride is part of a journey that lasts approximately 3 weeks. In June 2018 I visited Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic with my partner. This is the sixth trip of this vacation and will take you from Pastviny to Špindlerův Mlýn (Spindlermühle). This route gets 5 stars from me, because there is always something to see along the way and it is always different. The route runs from hilly to mountainous. One moment you come out of the woods and you see distant mountains, the other moment you stand on top of the mountain enjoying the view of the valley. In addition, there are a number of special places to visit along the route (culture and nature). Because the route is not too long, you also have time to stop and look around.
If you leave from Hotel Lesanka in the morning, you will drive down the mountain back into the village. You can stop at the bridge over the reservoir in the middle of the village. It is special to realize that more than a century ago you had to drive a little further down the mountain to reach the heart of the village: in the 1920s several houses had to make way for the reservoir and the dam.
Water remains a constant during this route. A little further on the route you drive a bit along the Divoká Orlice ("Wild Eagle"). This river flows into the reservoir where you have just stopped. The Divoká Orlice is in turn part of the Elbe catchment area. You will also drive along this river today and your route will end near the origin of this river.
While driving along the Divoká Orlice, which forms the border between the Czech Republic and Poland, you come across a number of cultural sights and a ski area.
First the Sint Jans Church of Nepomuk. This church looks poorly maintained and abandoned, but when you are inside you see a simple but atmospheric place. The second stop is in a small village a few kilometers away. Here is a pilgrim church (Maria Ascension Church), which was partly destroyed during the Second World War. The church has been restored in an original way: the roof is entirely made of glass.
After you leave the river you slowly climb the mountain to finally arrive in the Zieleniec Ski area. This is the highest and one of the largest ski areas in Poland. The area is around 900 meters, but due to the Alpine climate there is on average 150 days of snow per year here (November - March). In Zieleniec you have plenty of restaurants and hotels to pause. If you stop at restaurant Hanka, you also have a beautiful view of the "Upper Podgórze" area.
Hopefully you have a strong stomach, because after the break (with possible lunch) you stop in Czermna. Here is the famous "skull chapel". This chapel was built in 1776 and has been used as a mass grave for thousands of victims from the Thirty Years War. The bones of the deceased were used to "decorate" the chapel. Of this type of monument, there are only 6 in Europe.
The route goes smoothly after this chapel, so you can recover from all impressions. You cross a plain and then you enter the Krkonoše National Park (Giant Mountains). This National Park is also recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is the highest mountain range in the Czech Republic, with the "famous" Czech Matterhorn: the Sněžka.
About ¾ of the route you will arrive in Janské Lázně. Just beyond this town you will find the Krkonoše Tree Top Walk. If you are interested in learning more about the National Park, or if you simply want to stretch your legs, it is worth stopping. You can park your motorcycle in the (paid) parking area at the entrance of the museum. Then you walk through a number of wooden footpaths above the treetops of the forest area. The walk is approximately 1300 meters long, the paths hang 23 meters in the air with a viewing tower of 45 meters as the highest point.
After this hike you drive through the Giant Mountains to the end point of the route in Špindlerův Mlýn. The last part of this route winds along the aforementioned Elbe. Before you enter the village, you will come across a nice little dam on the way that you can photograph if you wish.
In the village there are sufficient accommodation options throughout the year. It is a busy ski area in winter and popular with hikers and mountain bikers in the summer. If you feel like it and have the time, it is worth spending two nights here: this gives you time to take a walk in the mountains to the origins of the Elbe. Along the way you walk through a beautiful gorge and along the highest waterfall in the Czech Republic.
Skull Chapel of Czermna
Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
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Disclaimer
Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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