Čapek

The Giant Mountains (Krkonoše) with a Čapek theme

A tip for spending an extended weekend with a Čapek theme.

1.st Day

Vrchlabí

How to get there

Vrchlabí became the second home of Josef Čapek during the years of 1901–1903. There he spent time as a student at the German weaving school. Nowadays, you can find the school building at 265 Krkonošská Street. Josef is memorialized by a commemorative plaque right here.  


In the city you can visit a part of a renaissance castle from the 16th Century. You can also see pictures of the last captured bears. Only the entry hallway is accessible; the city office is located in the other areas. However, you can visit the surrounding castle park.

An interesting tour is offered by the Krkonoše Museum, which is housed in four wooden houses reconstructed to the appearance of the original urban development. The Neo-Gothic castle of St. Laurence (sv. Vavřinec) located in the city is also available for a visit, where you can find, among other things,  a valuable copper baptismal font.

2.nd Day

Špindlerův Mlýn and Sněžka

How to get there

If you arrive at the city of Špindlerův Mlýn, you should surely visit the Savoy Hotel where Karel Čapek and Olga Scheinpflug used to stay and spend time together. But what is the biggest precedence of Špindlerův Mlýn? Certainly the nature – in summer it entices hiking as well as cycling. In winter, the city lives by skiing and snowboarding.

 

From Špindlerův Mlýn you can continue a mere 50 km to the city Pec pod Sněžkou, where you can climb up the highest mountain in the Czech Republic – Sněžka.

Its peak reaches the elevation of 1603 meters. You can conquer the mountain by hiking or help yourself with a lift that is available during favorable weather. The climb takes approximately two and a half hours.

At the top you can use the services of the highest located Czech postal office from the architects Hoffman and Rajniš who gave it the name Anežka. The meteorological station of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute is also located on the top of Sněžka.

After descending, you will surely appreciate the option of getting some refreshments in Pec pod Sněžkou.


3.rd Day

Žacléř

How to get there

After the climb to Sněžka, you might want to give your legs some relief and take a walk to the city Žacléř. Before he began to attend school in Vrchlabí, Josef Čapek studied at a burgeois school in Žacléř with the aim to improve his German language knowledge. He lived in the tavern of Johannes Ziszka (Žižka) – in the dance hall. Above all, he loved excursions around the area of Žacléř.


The tavern and the school can be easily found – currently it serves as a public library and a local preschool. You can even find a commemorative plaque of Josef Čapek in the square. Worthwhile of a visit is also the City Museum of Žacléř and the Žacléř Outdoor Mining Museum, where you can look through the engine rooms, mine shaft buildings, preserved portions and air ventilation ducts of the pit called Julie.

 If you still have some time left, visit Rýchory – the place where it is rumored that Josef loved going the most.

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