{"id":17426,"date":"2024-08-23T15:46:30","date_gmt":"2024-08-23T13:46:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wobblyride.com\/?p=17426"},"modified":"2025-04-14T14:13:19","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T12:13:19","slug":"cycling-in-the-giant-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wobblyride.com\/pl\/2024\/08\/23\/cycling-in-the-giant-mountains\/","title":{"rendered":"Rowerem przez G\u00f3ry Sowie, czeskie skalne miasta i Karkonosze"},"content":{"rendered":"

With breathtaking landscapes and historical charm, Czechia is one of Europe’s most underrated cycling destinations. I recently did a weekend overnighter in the north of the country, and I can sum it up using three words: true cycling joy. From the awe-inspiring sandstone formations in Adr\u0161pach Rock City to the majestic peaks of the Giant Mountains (Krkonose), bike touring in Northern Czechia is an unforgettable adventure every outdoor enthusiast will enjoy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mikro-przygoda w Sudetach<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Amazing cycling trips don’t have to be long and remote. This summer, I spent some days in the Polish Owl Mountains, working remotely from my family’s little house in the middle of nowhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gdy nadszed\u0142 weekend, sparowa\u0142am zestaw ciuch\u00f3w na zmian\u0119, podstawowy sprz\u0119t rowerowy i aparat i, w towarzystwie Alicji <\/a>– a cycling enthusiast I met through Instagram – headed toward the Czech border. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Broumovskie wy\u017cyny<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It was just three kilometres, but it took us a while as we had to push our bikes up a steep hill with some loose gravel on which our wheels quickly lost grip. After yesterday’s heavy rainfall, the greenery was intensely vibrant. We rolled down the road from Jeseniki, and I instantly felt like on real vacation: carefree, relaxed and focused on pedalling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mija\u0142y\u015bmy malownicze miasteczka i wioski, z tradycyjnymi domkami z ciemnego drewna, kt\u00f3re roz\u015bwietla\u0142y bujne petunie i begonie na parapetach. Przy drodze sta\u0142y figurki \u015bwi\u0119tych z wypisanymi wezwaniami po niemiecku, pozosta\u0142o\u015bci z czas\u00f3w, gdy Niemcy stanowili wi\u0119kszo\u015b\u0107 w regionie Broumov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After a coffee and cake break in Teplice, we had plenty of energy to pedal through the highlands. From the road, we could see a glimpse of the sandstone formations in the Adr\u0161pach and Teplice rock towns (we didn’t stop there since Alicja and I had already hiked there a while ago). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

W\u0105ska droga meandrowa\u0142a pomi\u0119dzy wzg\u00f3rzami i raz po raz przecina\u0142a tory kolejowe, delikatnie wznosz\u0105c si\u0119 a\u017c do Alpskich fabork\u00f3w <\/em>– a beautiful descent with tight hairpins and smooth tarmac through a forest. It felt like cycling in the Alps, and after speeding down, a scenic panorama unfolded in front of our eyes. The mighty Snezka mountain towered over the vibrant meadow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Czechia’s highest peak seemed so close, but we knew the day’s most demanding and longest climb was still ahead of us. It wasn’t steep, but I had little energy left. My legs felt heavy like lead, and my throat was itchy, as if I was getting a cold. But I had to bite the bullet and continue pedalling along the river Upa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karkonosze<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Po paru kilometrach hotele i narciarska infrastruktura zacz\u0119\u0142y zast\u0119powa\u0107 osiedla mieszkalne. W Pecu t\u0119tni\u0142o \u017cycie - z bar\u00f3w dociera\u0142a muzyka a ulice pe\u0142ne by\u0142y rodzin i par wracaj\u0105cych z g\u00f3rskich w\u0119dr\u00f3wek. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zamiast zatrzyma\u0107 si\u0119 w samym kurorcie, ruszy\u0142y\u015bmy dalej. Ostatnia prosta do naszego schroniska by\u0142a wyj\u0105tkowo stroma - 15 %. Na miejscu okaza\u0142o si\u0119, \u017ce zdecydowanie by\u0142o warto si\u0119 m\u0119czy\u0107! Wok\u00f3\u0142 nas by\u0142y tylko pastwiska pe\u0142ne owiec i kilka g\u00f3rskich schronisk, a z drewnianego tarasu rozpo\u015bciera\u0142 si\u0119 pi\u0119kny widok prosto na \u015anie\u017ck\u0119. Do tego w nocy mog\u0142y\u015bmy podziwia\u0107 Perseidy prosto z okna! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The next morning, dark clouds ominously hung over the mountains. The day started with a challenge\u2014a sharp climb to Mala Upa. We didn’t mind pushing the bikes, though, as the views around us were breathtaking. The landscape had all shades of green, from verdant grass to dark green pine forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Strange cardboard children next to the road towards Mala Upa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We crossed the border back to Poland without even noticing it, rushing down a small forest road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– The route should turn left somewhere here – said Alicja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We started looking for a path. Apparently, Komoot’s idea for the ideal route was to add some variation to our, so far, perfectly asphalted route. So now we were on a single track, navigating through roots, pinecones and other obstacles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We stopped at a clearing to admire the dramatic panorama, with clouds shaped like a funnel above the valley where it was raining. While we were taking pictures, the first drops landed on my skin. Before I got my jacket out of the bag, it was pouring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ucieczka przed deszczem<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We rushed through the dark forest, and after a few kilometres, we arrived utterly soaked in Opawa. We found a bus shelter, where we studied the region map to kill the boredom while waiting for the rain to stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As if the weather wasn’t enough of a challenge for today, Komoot decided to spice things up for us again, suggesting a dirt road marked as a part of the ER-2 cycling route. At first, it was fine. I even enjoyed the splash my wheels made when going through massive puddles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Soon, the wheel tracks turned into running streams, overgrown with grass and nettles, and the trail started shrinking. We lost at least 15 minutes cutting through the thicket, and because of that, another wave of rain caught us a few kilometres before Lubawka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We wanted to get some food there, but the only restaurant with respectable reviews on Google Maps was full. I was sneezing and didn’t feel too well, so we decided to take a train and skip part of our planned route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four other people with bikes waited at the platform, so when we saw the tiny train approaching, our hopes for boarding started to shrink. Luckily, the conductor was okay with taking more bikes than designated spots as long as we figured out a way to fit in at the end of the train. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We changed the train once, and after 50 minutes, we were already in Wa\u0142brzych. We could ditch our rain jackets – the sun was back, and cycling was finally pleasant again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ukryte skarby G\u00f3r Sowich<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One big attraction ahead of us was a 1.5-kilometre-long disused railway tunnel under Ma\u0142y Wo\u0142owiec. This 144-year-old tunnel, one of the longest in Poland, has stood empty since the 90’s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We switched our lights on and entered the portal. A dense mist surrounded us when we slowly rolled through the underpass. The ground was covered in large chunks of rubble, making it hard to cycle. It was an eerie ride in complete darkness, accompanied by the sound of dripping water. I was happy I wasn’t there alone\u2014I would’ve probably freaked out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On the other side, the last rays of the sun painted the peaks with a warm glow. It was hard to believe we had only spent two days on the bikes, slowly pedalling up the hill to our wooden house. This weekend included an entire cycling summer: speeding down windy mountain roads, pushing the bikes up steep hills and through unrideable trails, watching the perseids, stopping at cute roadside cafes, sweating in the sun and soaking in the torrential rain. It was good to know I could have a true mountain cycling adventure on a whim, so close to home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nasza trasa<\/h2>\n\n\n\n