Harrachov: Nature Trails, Glass History and Winter Sports

The sights and activities offer a range of different themes. You can choose a destination based on the interests you want to shape your stay.

Nature trails, bees and a waterfall

The Naučná stezka Rybárna trail leads through the picturesque Anenské Valley to the place where Count Jan Nepomuk Harrach founded a trout farm. The educational trail along the ponds offers a peaceful walk that even very young children can manage. Interactive wooden panels explain which living creatures can be found in the pond and its surroundings. The trail thus combines a waterside walk with information about nature and the history of fish farming.

The Naučná Včelí stezka takes a different focus: panels provide information about the lives of bees and beekeepers, while beehives containing live bees line the entire route. Their arrangement follows the historical development of beekeeping. Rybárna therefore focuses on the ponds and the wildlife found there, while the bee trail is dedicated to bees and the history of beekeeping. The two trails can thus be distinguished by their respective themes.

Mumlavský vodopád is a natural attraction in Harrachov, 1.5 kilometres from the town centre. This distance is measured from the centre; no walking time is specified.

Museums of forestry, glass and mining

The Šindelka exhibition is open to visitors interested in forestry and hunting. Its exhibits include a winter enclosure for wild animals and 32 taxidermied animals. The Harrachov Glass Museum has a different focus: it presents historic glass produced by the Harrachov glassworks in a collection that is historically and technologically cohesive. The collection documents more than 300 years of glassmaking in Nový Svět and includes more than 5,000 exhibits. The selection therefore ranges from topics related to forests and hunting to the long history of glass production.

The Hornické muzeum Harrachov focuses on mining and the tools used in the trade. On display are mining tools and equipment, ore from the local deposit area, and preserved mining machinery from the 20th century. The museum also includes an inspection tunnel approximately 1,000 metres long. Its average temperature is 7 to 9 °C, so an extra warm layer is a practical consideration for a visit. The three museums therefore have clearly distinct focuses: forestry and hunting, glassmaking, or mining.

Winter sports and visitor information

The Běžecký areál includes a 2.2-kilometre circuit. It is groomed, artificially snow-covered and homologated for professional sport. The Mammut K180 ski jump is one of the six largest in the world and hosts FIS Ski Flying World Cup competitions. The circuit and the ski jump thus represent different aspects of winter sports: a groomed trail and a large ski flying hill that hosts World Cup competitions.

The Harrachov cable car is also available to visitors year-round. Check the timetable before travelling so you can plan around the operating schedule. The Šindelka Harrachov Information Centre sells maps and guidebooks for the Krkonoše Mountains and recommends excursion routes as well as other KRNAP exhibitions and museums. Its opening hours may vary.

Discover more destinations: Jesenný, Olešnice, Bukovina U Turnova, Záhoří U Semil, Vyskeř, Morcinov, Vysoke Nad Jizerou, Bystrá Nad Jizerou.

Go to the main travel overview: Okres Semily.