Adršpašsko-Teplické Skály (City Of Rocks) And Sněžka

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Adršpašsko-Teplické Skály (City Of Rocks) And Sněžka

On the morning of 16 August 2023, Zosia Zgolak and I visited Adršpašsko-Teplické Skály (Adršpach-Teplice Rocks)--also known as City of Rocks--located in a nature reserve in north central Czech Republic near the border with Poland. The City of Rocks is comprised of eroded sandstone towers which collectively form narrow canyons with soaring walls. Railings and staircases have been installed throughout the area to facilitate easy and safe exploration of the labyrinthine rocks. In order to prevent overcrowding, entry into City of Rocks is tightly regulated, and Zosia had to book for us beforehand a time of entry as well as parking.

Much like at Szczeliniec Wielki, hiking the City of Rocks is similar to exploring a carnival funhouse except on a grander scale. The rock formations here are much bigger, and the main loop trail is longer and more strenuous to walk. Good signage with occasional maps and blazes make navigating the City of Rocks very easy. Zosia and I spent about three hours here touring at a relaxed pace, and although a few areas were a bit congested, the crowds never felt overwhelming. In many ways, this trip reminded me a lot of our visit last Christmas to the Heart of Rocks in southern Arizona.

Sonny stands below a teaser rock formation which is outside the entrance to the City of Rocks.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

Amazing place for reflection...

Just past the entrance to the City of Rocks is Piskovna, a former sandstone quarry that was flooded to create the present pond.

	Old German inscriptions are carved into some of the rocks.
	City of Rocks is an apt description as many of the rocks here resemble skyscrapers.
	The Gothic Gate was built in 1839 and guards the former entrance to the park.
	Zosia is in awe of the soaring walls in this canyon.
	This rock formation is called Čertův most (the devil's bridge).
	The upper inscription dates back to 1820 while the lower one dates back to 1841.
	The famous German poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, visited the City of Rocks in 1790.
	The Great Waterfall is about 16 metres high.
	Above the Great Waterfall is a narrow lake where tourists can go for a boat ride. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Milenci (Lovers) is the highest rock formation in the park. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Skalni kaple (rock chapel) was built to commemorate Josef Nádherný von Borutín who died while trying to climb Milenci in 1929. The names on the other plaques belong to others who had dedicated themselves to rock climbing in the area.
	Zosia tries to get a better view of Gilotina (guillotine) at far left and Milenci at right from this viewpoint.
	These are the Starosta (Mayor) and Starostová (Mayoress).
	Myší díra (Mousehole) is a passageway that narrows to only 50 centimetres wide.
	The last rock feature on the tour is called Indián (Red indian).

After leaving the City of Rocks, Zosia and I drove to the Czech Republic town of Pec pod Sněžkou to squeeze in an afternoon ascent of Sněžka (Śnieżka in Polish) which sits on the border with Poland. Besides being the third highest of the 28 Crown of Polish Mountains, Sněžka also happens to be the highest mountain in the Czech Republic. The summit is easily accessed via good trails on both sides of the border, but it is also possible to ride a gondola all the way to the top from the Czech side and partway up from the Polish side (starting in Karpacz).

Despite some possible thunderstorms forecasted for later in the day, the weather was still good when Zosia and I arrived in Pec pod Sněžkou, and we decided to take a chance and climb Sněžka anyway. Our late arrival meant that we had to park our car in a multi-level parkade located about 900 metres short of the townsite. After paying the parking fee (200 CZK or ~$12.21 CAD per day), we boarded a convenient free shuttle bus that dropped us off in the town's centre. Oddly enough, the shuttle bus turned around there and did not continue for another kilometre up to the lower gondola station which I imagine is where a lot of tourists heading to Sněžka would rather be dropped off. In any case, we walked eastward past some hotels and crossed a bridge before turning north up a driveway to a signed trailhead. Though mostly forested, the initial section of trail was very pleasant to hike, and we even enjoyed some solitude since there were not a lot of other hikers around. All junctions are signed, and we had no difficulty reaching Horská Bouda Růžohorky, a commercial lodge located roughly halfway up the mountain. Beyond the lodge, we walked on pavement for about 800 metres to a mid-mountain gondola station. The pavement turns to cobblestones here, but the hiking was still easy. The remainder of the hike was also straightforward as we crossed a flat section of trail among dwarf pines before climbing the final rise with well-constructed steps above tree line. The summit area was a bit of a zoo with hordes of people milling about the various buildings there, and we had to search a bit to find a semi-secluded spot to take a break.

After our break, Zosia and I wandered around the summit area for a bit before lining up to take the gondola back down to Pec pod Sněžkou. The clouds above the mountain were beginning to look threatening, but admittedly, I was just too lazy to walk back down. For a one-way ride down, Zosia paid 320 CZK (~$19.53 CAD) for each of us, and the descent to the lower gondola station took about 15 minutes. From there, we walked an easy and uneventful two kilometres back to the parkade since the shuttle buses were not running after 3 PM. Ultimately, the predicted thunderstorms did finally materialize but not until much later when we had already checked into our accommodations for the night. I heard emergency sirens wailing in the distance that evening, and the next day, we learned that the thunderstorms had been severe enough to cause some damage in Prague and to also flood the airport in Frankfurt, Germany.

Are we hiking or going to the mall? Zosia begins the hike to Sněžka from a parkade just outside the town of Pec pod Sněžkou.

On the left is Penzion Eden, a commercial guesthouse. Sonny crosses a bridge near the trailhead.
Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

How pleasant to have some solitude while hiking in Europe! The initial section of trail is mostly forested and quiet.

So tempting to stop for a beer here!
Zosia arrives at Horská Bouda Růžohorky, a mid-mountain commercial resort.

Růžová hora is a named summit nearby, but I think it's mostly covered by trees.
Sonny arrives at the mid-mountain gondola station which is named after a nearby named summit, Růžová hora (Rose mountain).
Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

Not as far away as it looks!
Zosia gets her first clear view of the top of Sněžka.

A wilderness experience this is not!
Stairs and railings simplify the ascent to the top.

Boy, that gondola ride down is gonna feel so nice!
In this view to the south, Ružová hora is the forested ridge at right.
Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

Can you see the cross on top of the chapel?
Zosia approaches some of the buildings at the summit area.

Who the heck sends mail from here?
This fenced area is designed to protect the daisy-leaved speedwell, a plant that only grows here and nowhere else in the Czech Republic. The building behind Zosia is Poštovna na Sněžce (Sněžka Post Office) which is still on the Czech side of the border. Kaplica św. Wawrzyńca (St. Lawrence's Chapel) and Wysokogórskie Obserwatorium Meteorologiczne (High Mountain Meteorological Observatory) are both on the Polish side of the border.

Highest recycling bin in Europe? Sadly, the summit of Sněžka (1606 metres) is marked by several huge canvas bags full of discarded plastic bottles.
Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

Not the summit, but close enough!
Zosia and Sonny pose near the meteorological observatory with views of the Polish landscape to the north.

Maybe people shouldn't sit so close to this building...
Sadly, the meteorological observatory is currently closed to the public due to concerns about its structural integrity.

Hmmm...those clouds don't look too friendly...
Hikers crowd a stony platform near the summit with views to the west.

Hey, we earned the summit, so why not take the gondola down?
Zosia rides the gondola down the mountain.

Or even restless and bored adults!
Along the trail between the lower gondola station and Pec pod Sněžkou are activity stations such as this one which are apparently geared toward restless or bored children.

Could possibly be an amazing ski mountaineering trip in winter... Total Distance: 14.1 kilometres
Round-Trip Time: 4 hours 49 minutes
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 899 metres
GPX Data

	Zosia begins the hike to Sněžka from a parkade just outside the town of Pec pod Sněžkou.
	Sonny crosses a bridge near the trailhead. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	The initial section of trail is mostly forested and quiet.
	Zosia arrives at Horská Bouda Růžohorky, a mid-mountain commercial resort.
	Sonny arrives at the mid-mountain gondola station which is named after a nearby named summit, Růžová hora (Rose mountain). Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Zosia gets her first clear view of the top of Sněžka.
	Stairs and railings simplify the ascent to the top.
	In this view to the south, Ružová hora is the forested ridge at right. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Zosia approaches some of the buildings at the summit area.
	This fenced area is designed to protect the daisy-leaved speedwell, a plant that only grows here and nowhere else in the Czech Republic. The building behind Zosia is Poštovna na Sněžce (Sněžka Post Office) which is still on the Czech side of the border. Kaplica św. Wawrzyńca (St. Lawrence's Chapel) and Wysokogórskie Obserwatorium Meteorologiczne (High Mountain Meteorological Observatory) are both on the Polish side of the border.
	Sadly, the summit of Sněžka (1606 metres) is marked by several huge canvas bags full of discarded plastic bottles. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Zosia and Sonny pose near the meteorological observatory with views of the Polish landscape to the north.
	Sadly, the meteorological observatory is currently closed to the public due to concerns about its structural integrity.
	Hikers crowd a stony platform near the summit with views to the west.
	Zosia rides the gondola down the mountain.
	Along the trail between the lower gondola station and Pec pod Sněžkou are activity stations such as this one which are apparently geared toward restless or bored children.
	Total Distance: 14.1 kilometres Round-Trip Time: 4 hours 49 minutes Cumulative Elevation Gain: 899 metres GPX Data