Articles & Guides
Long-reads, practical guides and stories from Świeradów-Zdrój and the Izera Mountains.
A mountain hut is not a restaurant with rooms. Who really runs a mountain refuge?
The most common mistake guests make is treating a mountain hut like a restaurant with rooms. Yet behind a hot meal, a dry bed and functionin...
From Rails to Gondolas: How Infrastructure Has Changed the Way to the Shelters of the Izera and Giant Mountains
Stóg Izerski by gondola or Wysoki Kamień by rail? It is not merely a choice of transport, but a decision about where the mountain experience...
Mountains at Dawn and After Dark: How to Plan Hikes by the Light in the Izera and Karkonosze Mountains
In the mountains, you do not choose a route solely by its summit, distance or popularity. This guide shows how to match a ridge, forest road...
Three Faces of the Jizera Mountains: Forests, Uplands and Peat Bogs from Świeradów-Zdrój
The most intriguing hikes in the Jizera Mountains do not always lead to a summit. This guide shows how to read three borderland environments...
Water, Granite and Forest: How to Read the Landscape of Szklarska Poręba on a Day Trip from Świeradów-Zdrój
The best day trip from Świeradów-Zdrój to Szklarska Poręba does not have to lead to the highest peaks. Two waterfalls, stream valleys and gr...
Jelenia Góra Beyond the Market Square: Walls, Towers and Urban Stories for a Day Trip from Świeradów-Zdrój
“Walls and towers” or “the centre plus Cieplice”? For a day trip from Świeradów-Zdrój, it is better to choose one option and explore Jelenia...
Świeradów-Zdrój with Children, Without Guesswork: How to Match Routes, Pace and Attractions to Their Age
The best family plan in Świeradów-Zdrój does not always head straight into the mountains. This practical guide helps you match the route to...
Your First Day in the Mountains from Świeradów-Zdrój: How to Read a Route Before Choosing a Summit
A short route does not always mean an easy day, and the trail colour does not tell you how much energy you will have left for the return. Th...
Tavern, Hospoda, Pastry Shop: How to Choose a Place for a Regional Meal in the Izera Mountains
A tavern after coming off the trail, a hospoda for Czech beer, a bistro for a quick lunch or a hotel restaurant for a leisurely dinner? This...
A Trail Basket Between Świeradów and Liberec: Regional Provisions Without a Mountain Hut
Provisions for an Izera trail need not mean a random chocolate bar and a supermarket sandwich. Here is how to put together a basket of bread...
Museums of the Extraordinary Around Świeradów-Zdrój: Automata, Nativity Scenes, Transport and Design
Four Czech institutions let you plan a day around objects best viewed up close: mechanical instruments, nativity scenes, trams, bicycles and...
A Garden Borderland: From Świeradów’s Spa Greenery to Liberec’s Tropical Greenhouses
Świeradów-Zdrój begins the story with parkland greenery, but the most intriguing botanical counterpoint awaits across the border in the Czec...
