The Harrachov ski resort is located in the Czech Republic, in the northern part on the Mumlava River, very close to the Polish border. This small town is located at an altitude of 700 meters above sea level in the west of the Krkonoše mountain range. The resort is located in the Liberec Region of the Semily District. The population is 1,700 people. The town, located 130 km from Prague, is very popular with residents of the capital. The distance from another famous resort Liberec is 38 km, and from Jablunec-Nysou – less than 11 km.

History of the resort

As early as the 17th century, the resort of Harrachov was mentioned in writing. German settlers built the village of Derfel here in those distant times. Later, it was renamed Harrachsdorf, and then the name was simplified to Harrachov. At the end of the 19th century, the city became famous for the production of:

glassware
development of mining
textile industry.

In our time, Harrachov is a famous and significant mountain ski resort in the Czech Republic. Various events and sports competitions have been held here constantly. In addition, it is one of the important centers of mountaineering in all of Central Europe.

Climate of Harrachov

Harrachov has a temperate climate. The mountains prevent cold winds from penetrating the resort. Therefore, even in January the temperature here does not drop below -4 degrees.

At the height of the heat, in July, the average temperature is about +18 degrees. This area receives a lot of precipitation – more than 850 mm per year. From mid-December to mid-March, the snow cover holds firmly. Thanks to this, skiing and mountain tourism have brought special popularity to the city. The local authorities are actively promoting the development of this tourism industry.

How to get there

The ski center is located 112 km from the capital of the Czech Republic. You can get here in 2 hours by car, moving along the E65 highway. You can get there from Prague by bus from the Černý Most station in just over 2 hours. Another option is to go to Harrachov by train. The journey from Prague Main Railway Station will take 3.5 hours.

Harrachov Trails and Slopes

The resort is suitable for both professionals and beginners, thanks to the variety of trails of varying difficulty (blue, red and black). There are a total of 10 trails, the total length of which reaches 9 km. The height at which the skiing area is located is 650-1020 m. Additionally, 65 km of cross-country trails are equipped. Snow cannons are used to maintain the snow cover, and some trails are equipped with night lighting. For beginners, there is a special ski simulator and ski schools. The cost of a ski pass in the high season is 650 CZK for an adult and 430 CZK for a child.

For beginners who are just trying to get on skis, there are 6 not very steep and carefully maintained blue trails.

Three red trails, with almost no gentle sections and with great steepness, await intermediate-level athletes.

For experts, a black track is equipped. It has everything: narrow places, hard hills, elevation changes and sharp turns.

Snow cannons ensure snow cover on the tracks all year round.

The length of the tracks with artificial cover is 3.5 km, and for cross-country skiers – about 65 km. The height difference is 370 meters.

There are five ski jumps on Chortovaya Gora. All facilities are constantly cleaned and are in excellent shape. There are rental points for sports equipment everywhere, and professional instructors will provide various services.

On the slopes of Harrachov there are several playgrounds equipped for activities with children. Children from 3 years old are put on skis and taught using a special game method. Children are engaged in age groups, special game equipment and exciting manuals are used in lessons. In addition, there is a separate children’s lift on the training slope. You can sign up for children’s lessons at one of the ski schools operating at the resort: ClassicSkiSchool, Ploc and JPK. The child can be left under the supervision of instructors for a period of 1 to 6 hours per day.

Ski pass services and lifts

The resort has 15 lifts of two types – tow and chairlift.

The height difference is 370 m. The length of the lift runs is from 440 m to 1300 m with a capacity of 6.5 thousand people per day.

A ski pass in the winter season costs about 600 CZK for adults and 500 CZK for children.

You can buy a ski pass for 6 days at once, which will cost about 2900 CZK for an adult and 2300 CZK for a child.

Infrastructure

At your service:

indoor swimming pool
fitness center
sauna.

In the summer you can do:

mountaineering
paragliding
hiking.

The city offers horse riding, cable car rides around Harrachov, and waterfall excursions.

Where to stay

Harrachov, like any other Czech resort, offers a wide selection of hotels, guesthouses, and hostels for comfortable and affordable accommodation. Hotel Fit Fun is located 50 meters from the Devil’s Mountain ski lift and 700 meters from the bus station. The hotel offers accommodation in single, double, or family rooms. The cost per person per night is about 50 euros. The hotel has an indoor pool with views of the Krkonoše Mountains, as well as a winter garden and a bar where you can play darts, bowling, or billiards.

A more budget hotel is the Hotel Golden. The average room rate is 25 euros per person, and the hotel itself is located just a five-minute walk from the slope. Hotel Golden has a restaurant, a well-kept garden, as well as a sauna and a massage room. Note that the price does not include meals, but for an additional fee the restaurant can serve breakfasts and dinners.

One of the most economical accommodation options in Harrachov is the Pension Marketa, which offers rooms for two to six people. The guesthouse is located 300 meters from the city center and offers ski equipment rental. In addition, next to this hotel there is a free ski bus stop, which runs between hotels and takes tourists to the ski lifts.

Pytloun Wellness Hotel Harrachov 4-star hotel

The Pytloun Wellness Hotel Harrachov is located a 15-minute walk from the centre of Harrachov and 300 metres from the ski resort of the same name, where guests can ski at night. The restaurant with a summer terrace serves breakfast and Czech cuisine. Guests receive a free Harrachov Card, which offers various benefits and discounts at local attractions.

Each room features an LCD TV with satellite channels, free tea/coffee facilities, and a private bathroom with a bathtub, hairdryer and free toiletries. All rooms offer views of the slopes or the surrounding countryside.

Guests can play billiards, table tennis and darts. There is also a bar. For young guests there is a children’s corner with toys.

Wellness hotel Harrachovka 3-star hotel

The Wellness Hotel Harrachovka is a new 3-star spa complex, located in a quiet location on the edge of the forest, just a 2-minute walk from the center of Harrachov.

The modern and cozy atmosphere of the spa complex is ideal for those guests who need rest and peace. The swimming pool and fitness center can be visited free of charge.

The Wellness Hotel Harrachovka offers special health and beauty programs using the most modern treatment methods. Professional staff can develop individual treatment programs.

A conference room for 60 people and a lounge for informal communication for 15-20 people are at guests’ disposal.

Chalet Hřebenka

Chalet Hřebenka is located in the popular ski resort of Harrachov, just 400 metres from the Čertová Hóra Ski Resort. It offers an indoor pool, a large garden, a children’s playground and barbecue facilities.

The rooms at Chalet Hřebenka come with a balcony and a bathroom. Guests can use a shared kitchen, a dining room and a lounge with a fireplace. The apartments have a private kitchen or kitchenette. Some rooms have a flat-screen TV. Free WiFi is available.

A swimming pool, tennis court, golf course, climbing wall and toboggan run are within a 10-minute walk of the chalet, and the Harrachov Train Station is 4 km away.

Free private parking is available on site.

For the soul/resort attractions

Sometimes after an active holiday, you want to relax your soul and mind, enjoying the contemplation of beauty. A great place for this is the route towards the Mumlava waterfall. You can go there both on foot and on skis. It is better to start the 4-kilometer walk from the city bus station towards the waterfalls. Lovers of long walks will appreciate the 22-kilometer hike to the sources of the beautiful Labe River, better known as the Elbe.

As for the city’s attractions, the main one is definitely the crystal factory and the Glass Museum located inside it. The exhibition, which includes more than 5,000 exhibits, tells the history of glass production from the mid-17th century to the present day. The museum is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00.

The Harrachov Glass Factory is the second oldest glass factory in the Czech Republic.

The factory was built before 1712. The traditional processing method and the unique historical engraving workshop, which is already 100 years old, have been preserved here. Everything is in almost its original historical condition and everything works. In the peculiarly built-up area of the company’s premises there is an exhibition of traditional glass production.

Glass Factory Tours

The glass factory offers the possibility of excursions, during which you can see with your own eyes the creation of masterpieces made by glass masters. During the tour, you can get acquainted with the full cycle of glass production and the unique, 100-year-old historical glass cutting workshop. Everything is in almost its original historical condition and everything works.

Shop

On the territory of the glass factory there is also a shop offering a wide range of glass products from many glass factories in the Czech Republic. There is also an engraving workshop where you can order any motif you wish to be applied to the exterior of a glass product.

The same building also houses the Ski Museum. The exhibition tells the story of the development of this sport in Harrachov. The exhibition features skis that are over a hundred years old. The real pride of the collection is considered to be a huge cup made by local glassblowers as an award for the winner of the Ski Jumping World Cup in 1983. The creations of local glassblowers can also be seen in the Church of St. Wenceslas, for example, a baroque chandelier or a glazed altar.

Also worth seeing:

Mountain Museum.
Local Harrachov Brewery.
The Chapel of St. Elizabeth, built in 1915 and with a glass bell.
The Church of St. Wenceslas, built on the basis of an old chapel from 1822 to 1828, is decorated with glass products from a local factory.
The oldest architectural monument is Luchna Buda from 1625.

Also on the territory of the resort is a snow fortress, where vacationers are shown performances based on local legends and traditions, performances by fencers, and fireworks are launched in the evenings.

At the disposal of vacationers:

A fascinating trip on a train stylized as the 19th century, along the Toothed Road from Tanvald to Korženov.

Bars, restaurants, where you can try local and national dishes.

Fitness centers, bowling, tennis courts, skydiving, dog sledding.

Cuisine

After visiting cultural attractions, you can’t deny yourself the pleasure of visiting the famous restaurant at the Novosad brewery. According to the owners, only natural ingredients are used in the preparation of local beer: clean water from their own wells, malt and hops. Right on the territory of the restaurant are huge vats in which unpasteurized and unfiltered beer is brewed, filling the establishment with its unique aroma. In addition to the foamy drink, the restaurant offers traditional Czech dishes and snacks. Homemade cheese, smoked sausages and other beer “snacks” are especially popular with tourists. Prices at Novosad are very reasonable – the average bill per person is about 250 CZK, and a hearty lunch or dinner for two will cost no more than 700-800 CZK. Beer is also very inexpensive – a mug of aromatic unfiltered beer costs about 45 CZK here. By the way, beer in stores is half the price, and its quality is practically no worse than restaurant beer. We should add that every Saturday there is live music in the restaurant, and closer to the evening the tables are moved closer together, freeing up space for dancing.

For the body

After a hearty lunch with a glass or two of fresh beer, it will be especially pleasant to continue your relaxation in a beer bath. This original SPA procedure is a special “feature” of this resort. The cost of a bath is from 700 CZK per person. The procedure includes a half-hour bath, half an hour of relaxation and two small glasses of beer. The main ingredients of such a bath are five liters of dark and five liters of light unfiltered beer, ground hops and brewer’s yeast. Вважається, що подібна процедура активно насичує шкіру вітаміном B. Приємна температура ванни пом’якшує шкіру, розкриває пори і забезпечує корисним речовинам доступ на більш глибокі її шари. Після розслаблюючої ванни передбачається півгодинний відпочинок в затемненому приміщенні з соляними лампами, які виділяють корисні речовини, благотворно впливають на стан нервової системи і органів дихання. Повний СПА-центр працює щодня з 11-00 до 20-00.