800 czk / pcs Trekking e-bike ESTIMA 10 SH BLACK 504Wh
2 pcs available, size women’s, men’s

Range 50 km depending on rider weight and terrain elevation, comfortable, not so fast. I also recommend it for a scenic ride on cycle paths and roads. For example: Hinterhermsdorf boats and Kopec settlement

950czk /pcs  ONE-Guera electric mountain bike
2 pcs available, size, women’s, men’s

Range:  max 100 km depending on the rider’s weight and terrain elevation. sporty type, agile. I recommend it for a day trip on cycle paths even in more difficult terrain. For a longer route, we can lend you a charger. Recommended route: From Krásná Lípa to Bad Schandau and back

We will also deliver the e-bike to your accommodation for a fee and give you a map with tips for trips, depending on the time available.

For reservations, write to info@cottage.cz. (Date, bike selection, number)

Rental rules here

The post Rent e-bikes in Bohemian Switzerland first appeared on Accommodation Bohemian Switzerland - apartments, wellness, guide, yoga, rental.

When we acknowledge and accept that by slowing down we are not giving up on the world, but rather we are truly perceiving it, travel ceases to be an escape from the reality of the workday. We cease to just move from place to place, but we journey from moment to moment, and travel becomes a return to ourselves, a return to life, to a world that we don’t need to conquer, but to discover. With openness, generosity, humility towards the stories we perceive in both the landscape and the people. We acknowledge the Way. Slow travel is closely related to sustainability. Ecological and human. In this concept, it is not just about flying less or choosing the train instead of the car, but also about not wanting to tire the place where you find yourself with your presence, you are trying to understand it, not exhaust everything that is available. Slowtravel is also to some extent about the courage to lose control. It is a challenge to let yourself be guided by moments, intuition and unexpected conversations. It can also mean establishing a relationship, not only with what you see, but also with your own pace.

My name is Irena. My husband Aleš and I travel in the Czech Republic and around the world in various ways. We also own the family guesthouse Bohemian Cottage in Bohemian Switzerland. Aleš is a guide in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park and I lead movement retreats abroad several times a year. We look at the topic of slowtravel and responsible tourism from several angles. As a married couple for whom travel is a great enrichment, we look at travel with children through the eyes of accommodation and service providers, as guides to other people. We want to inspire you and show you with concrete examples how we think about travel, what contexts play important roles for us and what feedback we have from our clients, guests and friends. 

How to plan?

Find information in time, compare it and connect it.

Since we work in the service sector ourselves, we plan our own vacations quite a long time in advance. It is good to seek inspiration from like-minded people. Given the overall climate change, we do not go south in the summer due to high temperatures that prevent us from seeing anything, on the contrary, our travel efforts are directed towards finding an air-conditioned space. We are not those for whom an all-inclusive resort at a low price is an option. Our setting is such that we do not need to consume as much as possible for as little money as possible and in the most advantageous way. We look at who we support with our travel, which is why we try to find accommodation directly, for example, not through global platforms. A good accommodation provider pays attention to good presentation, it is his calling card. We most often look for accommodation via Google Maps, so you can also see the surroundings in detail, which is an undeniable advantage. Drive through the streets, roads, places you want to see virtually on Google Maps, perhaps you will discover interesting accommodation. You can also use the information from the accommodation provider for tips for trips, food, a good café, a small gallery or a route that the locals go. We always communicate with the accommodation provider. We also look for a destination agency that operates in the place and look at its information.

We do not use articles recommending top places, we mostly read where not to go this year: for example: https://www.ecoista.cz/kam-radeji-nejet-10-evropskych-mist-ktera-uz-maji-dost-turistu

We have a good habit of finding a local literary author before we go to a destination, reading a book that is set in the given environment, and getting in the mood.

What do I need and why?

The place where you sleep has a big impact on your travel satisfaction. It is therefore important to take the time to choose, a quick trip through booking.com may not always be the right way. Accommodation providers who are exceptional, offer originality, have requests from guests from their own information channels, are not on booking.com and similar platforms. Because they often do not have a philosophy or conditions that the user does not know about. If they are listed there, they release last-minute dates to cover cancellations or low occupancy. If you are looking for something exceptional, search early and directly.
Choose a destination, search in the search engine by entering words in the language spoken in the destination. or in English. And even here. The good ones have a website in English. Skip the advertising items, go to other pages in search engines. Each destination also has local websites. Please note, I don’t mean to say that when we go to Milan for the weekend, we completely eliminate quick selection. But it’s not the only source we use.

We are increasingly seeing guests looking for accommodation based on the eco-friendly approach of the accommodation provider. Does it offer regional products? Can it provide transport from the train, does it use renewable resources? In the Czech Republic, there is no unified rating system for the quality of services, nor do the so-called stars have a unifying character, and there is no system of so-called eco-friendly accommodation providers. So if you are looking for eco, responsibility/sustainability, there is no choice but to read the accommodation providers’ websites.

Our guesthouse is a member of several accommodation communities in Germany that accept “eco” members, or use renewable resources, have an energy label: A, are built from natural building materials, food waste is minimized, waste sorting is a matter of course, no single-use plastic, no single-use plastic water bottles. Organic waste is reused, they have a water-efficient shower, natural cleaning and cleaning products and cosmetics. Rainwater is used for the garden, toilet and a wastewater filtration system is used. This is a list that 80% of members must meet. In our country, it goes a bit naturally, the water from the gutter goes into the natural biotope, we do not have a sewer system, so we had to build our own root treatment plant. We would like it if a similar eco-friendly selection were implemented in the Czech Republic and guests were presented with the importance of such operations, their advantages and responsible selection.

Where to go on trips?

We don’t go on trips to destinations that most tour companies organize.

If we still want to see something from the top list, we choose these places outside the main tourist season or at a specific time so that we can be there early in the morning or later in the afternoon. For example, this is how we managed to be at the pyramids in Giza in Egypt from 7:00 to 9:00 all alone. Miracle! After the ninth hour, the circus started.

If we find most travel articles about how to travel Cuba in 14 days, we won’t do it either. Specifically in Cuba: We chose three places: Havana, Bay of Pigs, Trinidad and we stayed in each place for a week. After three days, most people in the village around the bay were surprised that we were still there, they started talking to us more even though they don’t speak any language except Spanish, it doesn’t matter. Our son played soccer with the local boys, we saw the rare supply of a restaurant by horse-drawn carriage, which also drives there on the highway, we saw children at school and the local chirping when I took nylon tights out of my suitcase and handed them out to women in the village.

If you want to experience authenticity, or avoid tourist traps, don’t be fooled by Instagram photos. No tourist takes 100% reality photos, full beaches in photos or sitting in traffic on the way to the most beautiful beach in Europe. Look for photos from guests when booking your accommodation, not every accommodation provider will post a photo of the road outside the windows from one side of the hotel. Then you just close the windows for the night and draw the curtains to get some sleep. For example, we have a photo of the view from the window for each apartment. We try to update the photos when something changes in the interior or exterior.

Also check the topicality of texts and photos. As accommodation providers, we know that it is important to mention specifics, such as steep stairs to the bedroom, and then we eliminate the complaint that an elderly person with mobility problems is booking an apartment. Being transparent about this simply pays off in the long run and on the nerves.

A good accommodation provider will also direct you to a concert that is taking place tomorrow. We often also look at the websites of the city or region we are heading to before leaving, and we usually discover something interesting that will be happening. For example, we visited a concert by the band Blood Harmony in Akureyri in Iceland and it was an extremely beautiful experience. Finally, we were able to take off our winter jackets in public and wear special T-shirts with the inscription in Icelandic: Truth and love will triumph over lies and hatred. The locals were interested. Even though they are rather introverted and it didn’t encourage frequent debates, we were simply on a mission Planning is also related to our belief that by how we behave on the road, how we communicate, what we choose, we represent our nation in a certain way among people. We also bring something typically Czech with us as gifts.

Inspiration for the publication:

Recently, we have been delighted with the publication Rare Places. It is about trips to unusual architecturally interesting places, smaller locations in less exposed areas. Those interested in modern architecture will be thrilled.

We are part of the European community GoodTravel.eu, which published the publication Good places for good people. It is about interesting accommodations and the stories of the people who create it.

Inspiration Bohemia:

Our country is small, but beautiful and there is something to discover everywhere, in any season. The regional diversity is amazing. In the Czech Republic, we also travel to unknown destinations: the Slavkov Forest, where we went cross-country skiing in the winter, Horšovský Týn, where we were surprised by the beautiful castle, the Novohradské Mountains, the Rychlebské Mountains, the Moravian Karst… We are also greatly influenced by the driving distance, we simply do not drive across the entire republic for 2 nights. If we go further, we choose at least three nights.

In more detail: The Lusatian Mountains and the surrounding area are our home: the smallest mountains in the Czech Republic, several beautiful 700-meter peaks without crowds and fences. The iconic train station restaurant in Jedlová, the unique Nová Perla gallery in Kyjov, a guided tour of Schindler’s Knitting Factory, a region of small sacral monuments, a region of glassmakers who do honor and glory to their craft, former textile factories that attract creative people to breathe new life into them. A “secret” tip for winter, you can reach the glassworks in the Lusatian Mountains and Polevsko in winter along long cross-country skiing trails and you will be warm inside.

In more detail: The Broumov region, where we will gladly avoid the crowded Adršpach, but we will take a trip around Zdoňov and end it with a gastronomic experience at the Kovářova kobyla restaurant, which is an absolute border revelation. We will stay right in the Broumov monastery in a monk’s cell and the next day I will go buy towels for Veba and a Laiva skirt from local creators, whose piece was also brought by Mrs. Eva Pavlová.

Inspiration for abroad: last year we chose a not-so-well-known destination near Berlin, the Sandugkensee Nature Reserve, for a family vacation. The flat landscape is perfect for cycling and swimming in forest weirs. Sometimes the proximity of a nature reserve or national park or protected landscape area is our criterion.

Planning for groups:

When I was looking for suitable accommodation for my yoga retreat on the island of Mauritius, the key search words were eco, sustainability, local. I found The Good life Mauritius and with it a young, friendly French couple who do a simply wonderful service there in cooperation with the locals. You are part of a concept where food is not wasted on all-inclusive and towels are not changed every day, we don’t do that at home either, right?

An interesting place away from the main tourist stream usually has some buts. Not everything is right next to you, you need to walk or drive to the shop or accept that a few steps are not enough to get to the beach. That is often the key to not finding yourself on a beach full of sun loungers in a crowd. But your reward will be the village, the opportunity to talk to people who actually live there, you can see daily rituals, a rhythm that doesn’t tire you.

Going to Greece with your family?

For the same in Europe, I can mention the Greek island of Corfu. The islander Pavla Smetanová writes books about life under the olive trees, I recommend contacting Pavla for individual travel, because she has local knowledge. She will be interested in what your preferences are and will choose suitable accommodation for you based on that and recommend places to visit. She herself says that the stay recommended by her may not be cheaper than with a large travel company, but you will have a completely different experience. Pavla also once recommended Zuzana Stavroulaki to me, who lives in Crete. Simply put, once you start creating a network of like-minded people, contacts and opportunities pile up.

Planning is a gesture…

Planning is a way to listen to your needs before you set off on a journey. You can choose a destination according to your values, your relationship with nature, the cultural rhythm that is close to you, your hobbies and interests. In slowtravel, the goal is not to “make the most of your time”, but to give time space. Letting the day unfold as it needs to — even if it takes you somewhere else than you imagined. And right there, when you stop trying to “catch up,” something profound can finally meet you…

When plans change and the art of taking risks

The plan for our trip to Iceland changed when we started listening to the audiobook Kalman during our vacation. The gripping novel of the Icelandic north so captivated us that we started traveling to places that were essential to the novel. We were introduced to the book by a traveling couple we talked to after climbing the crater. It’s good not to get attached. Sometimes we also set off somewhere without a clear destination. Unexpected surprises are then remembered and something simply needs to be discovered, like this place in the middle of nowhere. A lake, a “hobbit” house, two Icelanders and hot chocolate and pancakes…

When to go?
And that’s a big challenge. Holidays, weekends, holidays. A large number of people travel on the same days and times there and back. Everyone wants to relax at the same time, everyone wants to ski or lie on the beach at the same time. Prices are skyrocketing because accommodation providers know this, but it doesn’t matter, other times they don’t have time, so they pay twice as much for the same services. Slowtravel gets busy, or due to circumstances you get to a state of Mindfulness zero.

We both work in tourism and services, so we can plan our holidays and work from elsewhere in a modern workaction way according to our workload, sometimes even the occupancy of our guesthouse. And our free time works out the opposite way to everyone else. But we have two children who have compulsory school attendance and that groups us with other families with children. So the two of us go outside weekends and holidays. We all go together to destinations where there is no holiday pressure. We make a lot of use of spring break. These are different in each district. It’s a shame that it’s not like that in the summer, like in Germany. It would help both hosts and guests. As hosts, we often tell guests to add at least a Thursday or Monday to the weekend. The quality of time will change significantly and an excused day at school will not be a problem. We are not surprised that weekends are more expensive for hosts. Try to eliminate this fact, plan at a different time than others. Arrive on Sunday, when others are leaving. We always melt when we see how our guests enjoy their time from Sunday to Wednesday, well, even Tuesday is good. First of all, there are significantly fewer of them in the accommodation facility, which means greater comfort in the common areas and the energy of leisure on weekdays is simply unique. The residents will also be friendlier because there are not crowds of people passing by their windows every day. Have any of you been to Croatia in October or November? We do, and you are surprised by how much sun there is, what the prices are and how the country breathes differently. That is real relaxation for us.

How much does it cost?
The price difference between the so-called high season and the low season can be huge.
The price is controlled by supply and demand. It’s easy when there is a high demand, the prices of accommodation, services, and air tickets are higher than the prices for the same services at a different time.
The game with last minute/all inclusive and discounts is unsympathetic to us. Do I want to meet hotel guests in cheap resorts every day who just lie around and drink? Discounts play a marketing role in tourism. But is the price reduced by 50% really that much lower? How is that even possible? Or can I get the same service elsewhere for a similar price without a discount?
You can travel cheaply on foot with a backpack, there are many pilgrimage trails crisscrossing Europe. They are newly being created in the Czech Republic, for example Hřebenovka in Bohemian Switzerland.

Inspiration: Trail through the Czech Republic www.viaczechia.cz, Hřebenovka: www.hrebenovka.cz

How to get there?

The journey is part of the experience

You can also save a lot on transport and slowtravel really encourages this. Have you ever tried a seven-day train ticket for the summer?
When we go somewhere, we try to enjoy the journey itself. Stop at a place we would never go directly to. For example, we drove to Lefkada with a stop in Macedonia. We allowed the children to sleep in a hostel with other travelers, it was an experience for them, we explored the city of Ohrid, swam in the lake and continued on. For us, the journey is part of the experience.

We traveled to Iceland for 3 days by boat, it was incredibly beautiful. Some would consider it a waste of time. In our opinion, not. We had time for ourselves, time to do nothing, we just drove, we managed to calm down and prepare for the adventure. We read Icelandic novels and poems and studied the necessary travel information.

Transportation at the place of travel is important. Experience how the locals travel. Sometimes it is a greater experience than the place we want to reach. Some guests, cycling enthusiasts, come to us by bike from Prague. We often wonder how and if it is possible to travel in an original way, for example. There is now a night train on the route Prague-Děčín-Brussels-Amsterdam

Inspiration Berlin:

Sometimes it’s easier to ride a bike than to look for a parking space. Berlin by bike with kids was great for us. This city is ideal for bikes. You can get around Berlin safely and stress-free on bikes, even with small children.

We noticed that many people living in Berlin come to us by train. They don’t have a car. They don’t need one. We offer to pick them up at the station.

A different way to take a familiar route

When we take a car, we don’t park at point A and, like everyone else, we then go to point B and back. Try to find point C on the map and walk from point A and/or B. It may be a longer journey, but… you’ll break the stereotype that most guidebooks recommend. Here’s an example: we wanted to see Dettifoss. It’s one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland. They say the second one is no better in Europe Simply TOP. You will arrive at a large parking lot offering 500m signposts this way there and back. I look at the map I found at the gas station and find out that there is a tourist sign crossing the entire National Park, connecting the individual waterfalls, I look at mapy.cz and I can’t find an interesting circuit, how to get to the waterfall in 3 km. We walk and just stare, no one anywhere. Just a waterfall.

I will share my inspiration from Bohemian Switzerland with you, only in person, otherwise we will meet here, where we would never meet in so many people

Stays with a positive trace on the spot…

My own experience: We have had several stays in our guesthouse, during which the guests spent a few hours of their time doing useful work in the area. Once a group of men cleaned the Křinice River, walked along the riverbed, talked and did a good deed. At other times, they helped restore an old factory building, where the Nová perla gallery was created, or they participated in the demolition of an old house near Schindler’s Knitting Factory. The owner then showed them around the unique premises of the knitting factory with a 170-year tradition.

Sommerjob is an activity of young people who come to villages or cities at the beginning of the holidays. After agreement, the city allows them to stay in, for example, a school. Young people offer their help for a week to anyone who needs it: they paint fences, chop wood, clean up the gardens of the city’s citizens, and there are intergenerational meetings. In the afternoon and evening they have their own program, culture, trips. Summerjob is an established project with a significant impact on the regions and social mood.

Experiences:

Food/culture/sports/exercise/nature/technology

Slow food – enjoying local cuisine without rushing. Sometimes you get into it unintentionally, and that’s when you’re really hungry, but the southern pace is simply the southern pace, you should have more time for food, at least according to the walking speed of the waiter on the set. In Cuba, the food preparation took forever, and we drank mochittos, which the waiter topped up with rum after a small sip, so after a while we didn’t care at all that we were waiting for an hour…

The courage to try something new is connected to everything. Sometimes, under the influence of the experience of the trip, I taste something in conditions that I would probably have missed otherwise, but hunger is hunger. On the way from the mountains in Sri Lanka, eating with my hands at a simple roadside stand, pancakes on the fire, dhal, but it was just hunger and fun. The lady didn’t have enough tea cups, she creatively solved it with one cup for two people. Going to a local market in Bali and then being happy with a plate for 30 crowns, sitting on a plastic chair and perceiving the natural bustle of this evening… simply an experience

From the guide’s perspective: It can be really hard to convince an American tourist in the Czech Republic to have sirloin steak. They simply travel differently and very quickly, they want to see as many of the most famous places as possible during the day. If you take them to a less well-known similar place, they will be happy to go, but they still want to see the top and eat quickly, just fast food. But for example, Aleš took Japanese tourists to a brewery, ordered them tlačenka, utopence and toast, and the fun was only in explaining the names. Sometimes Asians spread sauce on dumplings in the same way as on bread. In Iceland, we tasted hákarl, which is fermented shark meat, enough for hardened personalities. But we talk about it everywhere, because we earned recognition among the locals by eating it.

But how do I choose a good gastro restaurant in a place I don’t know at all? Be sure to ask the accommodation provider if they recommend anything. If that’s not an option, local guides are available in leaflets or online. Be careful, their relevance may not be 100% accurate. You still have to look at Google Maps and look for stars and, above all, read current reviews (both positive and negative). Check the date the review was posted.

Finding a good café can be a challenge. In Milan, you just have to go out on the street. Even in the remote Sudetenland, where we live, those who look for it will find it. Even in the regions, café culture is gradually changing for the better, try the Atelier café in Krásná Lípa, Bohemian Coffee house in Rumburk or Hosana café in Varnsdorf. For many people, visiting a good place for food or coffee is an essential part of a successful trip. We love to discover and be inspired. When we were in Podyjí, in the border village of Čižov, we came across a self-service shop, more like a garage (it’s not even on Google Maps). You simply have to buy that apple from the garage. Because rarities need to be supported.

 
Swimming
If you are hardy, you have an advantage if you find a blue spot on the map and go explore it. For example, in the Lusatian Mountains there is the always cold and crystal clear Naděje reservoir. The name itself suggests that it would like to be discovered.

Sports and exercise
I think that we have a huge range of sports activities in the Czech Republic, all year round. Mountains, rivers, courts, golf courses, rocks, and even cycle paths. Have you tried football golf or Czech skittles, for example? Every town or village in our country still lives with some kind of sport through active clubs. There is excellent basketball in Děčín, football is played in Líšen again, and handball in Dvůr Králové. When the weather is not conducive to long trips, we now visit football stadiums, for example, because our son likes to play football.

Culture
Be brave, check out the city’s website and go to a local band, even if you don’t know how it plays. Community cultural life opens up another door to the unknown. Here in Bohemian Switzerland, for example, the small village of Doubice has around 100 inhabitants, there is the Cifra gallery and the Fabrika music club, and they always have some aces up their sleeves. A concert or exhibition by the famous rapper Vladimír 518 right after the trip will surprise you, maybe even encourage you, that even in smaller towns great culture can have its leading place.

Nature
Even in “quiet” nature, you can meet a lot of tourists in exposed places, you can eliminate their number by choosing the right time, for example, getting up early or, conversely, arriving late. Finally, it will come in handy one day.
The popularity of places is caused by marketing. Visit the largest sandstone gate, the oldest pyramid, etc. But you can find similar objects nearby, without tourists, they just don’t have a sticker. For example, in Bohemian Switzerland we also have the small Pravčická Gate and behind another hill is the northernmost point of the Czech Republic, which you definitely can’t reach by car. An interesting concept and thinking about movement in nature is presented by architect Ondřej Machač, for example. His diploma thesis Fragments of Silence, which you can find publicly, encourages you to explore the landscape of Broumov off marked paths, sometimes even off the path. He presents interesting concepts of real elements in the landscape, putting something extra into them that can interest a pilgrim or tourist. Did it arouse your curiosity? Find Fragments of Silence.

Technology
I think that every country (locality) has its own travel enthusiast, local creator, interesting application. Search for information in the place where you want to stay. Newly, AI will help you. Specify what you are looking for, add slowtravel and write specific goals.
We like to use mapy.cz for hiking, even when I am looking for a hiking or cycling trail, not only in the Czech Republic, but also abroad. For a place to park overnight, I use Park4Night and Google Maps.
To connect the unconnected, I combine technology with local paper maps, with tips for trips that I find, for example, at a gas station.

 A FEW terms in bubbles

Slowtravel – emphasis on the quality of experiences instead of the quantity of places visited

Digital detox – limiting technology for a deeper travel experience

Responsible travel – reducing carbon footprint, supporting local businesses

Minimalism – light travel with minimal luggage, minimal demands on the environment

workaction – work and vacation in one

wellness & self-care stays – vacation as a reboot

Authentic travel & tourism – focuses on gaining deeper and authentic experiences that allow participants to get to know and understand local culture, traditions and way of life. This form of tourism tries to avoid commercialized and tourist-overloaded attractions and instead focuses on the real and natural aspects of the destination.

Voluntourism – combines vacation with active help in the areas visited. It involves active involvement in projects that have a positive impact on the local community, environment or other area where the tourist is located.

Farm to table is a model that emphasizes the direct sourcing of ingredients from local sources, thereby minimizing the distance between the place of production and the final consumer. The goal is to support local farmers, reduce the ecological footprint associated with the transportation of food, and ensure its freshness and quality.

Community-based tourism is a form of tourism whose development concept is based on the needs of the host community. It is based on the activities of local residents and its implementation reflects local economic conditions and organization. This type of tourism is one of the forms of sustainable tourism and contributes to its implementation by providing economic benefits to the local community and supporting local businesses.

Published in Heroine Magazine in 2025.

The post Slowtravel as a freedom first appeared on Accommodation Bohemian Switzerland - apartments, wellness, guide, yoga, rental.

When the landscape is shrouded in fog and the days get shorter, we instinctively seek safety and warmth. At Bohemian Cottage, we believe that the cold months and winter silence are the most precious time to return to ourselves. We are open all year round because we know that you don’t need to recharge your batteries in the summer, but right now.

Warming rituals for cold days

Imagine the contrast: it’s freezing outside or raining lightly and you’re sitting in a wood-scented sauna. The heat permeates every muscle. Then all you have to do is immerse yourself in a hot open-air bath – the steam rises to the sky and you just observe the sleeping garden. This is the medicine that our body really needs in winter.

The light within us When the sun is missing outside, we seek it in movement and breath. Our Meditation Linden Hall is your refuge. Yoga in the warmth of your home, accompanied by a cup of herbal tea from our meadows, will dispel winter fatigue and restore your lost energy.

The scent of home and quiet walks Winter mornings here start slowly. A breakfast basket full of honest flavors will wait for you until you get a good night’s sleep. And if you feel like moving, the surrounding forests of Bohemian Switzerland are at their quietest in winter – no crowds, just you, the crunch of snow or frozen leaves, and clean air that will clear your head.

Come and take a breath. Winter here is not grey, but soothing and warm.

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Modified cross-country trails: actual information
(Lusatian highway)

Prácheň – Polevsko – Kytlice

Šébr – Luž

Jedlova

Doubice
Modified circuits to 5 km from the village Doubice. Parking at the Old Pub

Rybniste

Krasna Lipa – Kamenna Horka – Place

Modified circuit 5 km leading from the Football Field in Krásná Lípa (possibility of parking) to the settlement Kamenná Horka (parking Meadow bar) you can continue to the defunct settlement of Hely along the blue.

Unmodified cross-country trails:

Kamenná Horka – Kyjovské údolí

Krásná Lípa – Skřivančí pole – Dymník – Rumburk

Krásná Lípa – Mikulášovice

Possibility cross-country ski rental.

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Apartments

[See image gallery at cottage.cz]

Common areas

[See image gallery at cottage.cz]

Design

[See image gallery at cottage.cz]

Wellbeing

[See image gallery at cottage.cz]

Garden

[See image gallery at cottage.cz]

Otuzovarna – natural hardering

[See image gallery at cottage.cz]

Forest path

Czech Switzerland

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Bohemian Switzerland, at the eighth stop, The Lusatian Mountains – a perfect trio dedicated to a quiet holiday without crowds and with activities and places to top it all off, which children will appreciate, where they will definitely not be bored. It is, of course, fundamentally important, where the family sets up base camp. The Bohemian Cottage guesthouse is sought after all year round for its breathtaking tranquility, a wonderful environment as well as a friendly and natural background. Getting a place here is not easy, the interest is really great. But because the family Kubica are, above all, family, the holiday period is mainly dedicated to parents with children.

From Kamenná Horka in Krásná Lípa, you can easily reach most of the most attractive places in all three mentioned regions. Let’s go on foot, by bus, by train, by car or perhaps on snowshoes, and literally in any direction, your children will be delighted. Why? So let’s discuss it…

Sparkling snow, the sun is not warm, but paints the sky azure, the air is like a saw and the snow drift is more perfect than the best bobsleigh track. Just sit on the sled, or slap yourself on a plastic bob and rush down and scream and yell beautifully and uninhibitedly. It doesn’t matter at all, how old are you…

Or completely ordinary walks, which are always extraordinary here. There are dozens of forest paths in the immediate vicinity of the Bohemian Cottage, that will take you to places, where you won’t meet a living soul, except perhaps a few dog walkers or a falconer, who trains his predators here. Maškův vrch is one of them. Driving in the snow is so different, beautiful and alluring. And if perhaps the walk became ordinary for the children, just make a single inconspicuous ball… and start an uncompromising ball game.

Is evident, that no one will guarantee you, that there will be snow – you can’t be sure of that even in the Alps. Charles výšina, but she is stunning, whatever the weather or season. The rock wall hidden in the forest offers views into the depths of the Czech Netherlands and is another easily accessible destination.

Not even when nature starts to take shape, that spring vacations belong to spring after all and there is no sign of snow, forest paths will take you to incredible places. And because there are no tourist signs leading to many of them, it can happen to you, that you will turn onto an inconspicuous country road and out of nowhere a fairy-tale horizon will open up in front of you and you will gaze in amazement at the whole of Bohemian and Saxon Switzerland and in the distance Queen Milešovka herself will rise majestically in front of you.

Brtnické icefalls That the walk must have some promising and consequently stunning goal? Well then, head down the Vlčí potok valley from Brtniky to the famous icefalls. These do not arise depending on severe frosts, on the contrary, they often form surprisingly even in mild winter, because the water from the melting snow runs down the edge of the rocks and slowly freezes, creating icicles and ice cascades of incredible sizes and colors. And if you take the children to the cave behind the ice curtain and leave the sun, to conquer behind you, it will be simply unforgettable.

But let’s be optimistic, winter includes snow, endless plains and clear horizons. Who has never worn snowshoes and walked through a snowy meadow, he did not experience the miracle of walking on water. In this breathtaking place, on the meadows stretching to the saddle between Studenec and Lipnický vrch, where it is almost certain to see a huge herd of fallow deer with a few hefty stags, Czech Switzerland meets the Lusatian Mountains, and in this borderland you won’t find anyone… not even ghosts.

at the eighth stop? No, so you will be really surprised, until the elder of the ghosts here rises up out of nowhere in front of you, Hejkal himself. In the year, you are in the land of legends and fairy tales, and there is absolutely nothing to stop a child’s imagination. And if you accept children’s invitations to a world of wonderful improbabilities, you will be surprised, that it is actually still your world.

And now we’re going to kick things off a bit – we’ll have a Krásnolipský children’s triathlon. This jack is tried and tested, just go after it. It starts at Vlčí Hora, in the former school, where the company’s visitor center is located today Nobilis Tilia, which produces natural cosmetics in the adjacent factory. Here, in a charming shop full of fragrances, moms can smell and smell and try and sample in peace, daddies to sit and watch chirping – and children?

The local fairies will take care of them here, which will introduce them to the realm of scents and their meanings. At a very special dressing table, children can make their own and original perfume here. And don’t think, that only girls enjoy it! Boys usually take it as a scientific discipline. Everyone is guaranteed to enjoy a bottle containing a fragrance just for them.

Full of fragrant experiences, we will now move to the square in Krásná Lípa, where he winks kindly at us Mana chocolate shop. Buy that delicious hot chocolate or some chocolate treat, everyone can do that. In addition to the store, Mana also offers a chocolate workshop, and we’ll head for it. Here, children can try working with chocolate and make a chocolate souvenir – for example a lollipop or a chocolate souvenir with the motif of one of the tourist destinations.

It’s a bit of alchemy, but above all fun. Even the biggest slobbers will fall into serious creative concentration here. Finally, the finished work needs to be saved, so that it can harden. And wait. what? Wait? Children hate that! No worries – just a few tens of meters away, the waiting room is a sight to behold!

You cannot miss the House of Czech Switzerland. A playful and interactive exhibition awaits you on its ground floor and basement, where it is possible to learn a lot, but above all, the children literally have a blast here – and the chocolate can harden in peace. I would like to see the observation deck under the roof?

You can research here, examine, discover…

…as well as chasing a badger into its mysterious burrow. So far, the chocolate has solidified into a perfect shape, and excited children proudly holding their products logically get a taste for something good, which desire can be satisfied immediately in the neighboring house called U Frinda, where the cozy cafe offers delicious soups as well as cakes and desserts. Half the day flew by like water – but there were really a lot of experiences.

If you feel like going on a trip to more distant places, another round is a possibility. For example, Print Walls, that’s a guaranteed adventure. You can find anything you want here – rocky streets and squares, rocks of the strangest shapes and even stranger names, path along the very edge of the rock wall, ladders and endless staircases. And watch out for sprites! They are just teeming here, and how sneaky they are! They will put stray spices in your pocket and you won’t be able to get off the rocks!

But if you untangle yourself from the Velké Tiské walls, the Little ones are still waiting for you. They start with a climb to one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the region. No, try to beat this one! Below is a labyrinth of smaller rocks and crags, where in truth there is nowhere to fall, and so the children run around enthusiastically, without any danger to them.

When the dignified Mushroom says goodbye to us for all the rock creatures and monsters, It is clear, that this trip was worth it. It takes about an hour to get here from the guesthouse, and you won’t find anything like it far and wide.

A completely different experience awaits children, on the other hand, literally around the corner, in picturesque Doubica. Here, on the vast space behind the Old Inn, wooden sculptures spread out in all directions, mysterious castles, slides and climbing frames, so it’s really all-you-can-eat more for hardened adults, but children don’t solve these things – they either enjoy something or they don’t. And this Obludarium will not bore them to the concrete.

A trip to Doubice – if you manage to get the children out of the previous attraction – can continue to very unusual places. Specifically, to the Narrow Stairs, which truly live up to their name. More corpulent people also have a problem here, on the other hand, the children climb the rock crevice on ladders like squirrels. which simply cannot be described otherwise, if there is a meter of snow and it is freezing cold, it is not advisable to attempt this path through the rocks, but in milder weather it’s a sensational idea.

It is surprising for many inland people, how obvious it is to find yourself here, often unexpectedly, in neighboring Saxony and Upper Lusatia. And going here with a clear goal is an even better idea. There is so much to experience. For example, a thoroughly adventurous journey by steam train in historic wagons to Oybin station.

The path leads upwards from the station, to the romantic and mysterious ruins of the castle and monastery. Find yourself in a Gothic cathedral, whose ceiling is the sky itself… How often do you experience something like this?

The path leads upwards from the station, to the romantic and mysterious ruins of the castle and monastery. Find yourself in a Gothic cathedral, whose ceiling is the sky itself… How often do you experience something like this?

But let’s go back to Bohemian Switzerland. There is a place between Jetřichovice and Rynartice, which is simply mandatory when traveling with children. The famous Dwarf Rock with the rock elves and the poor widow, which the pidimen saved, when she got stuck in a rock gap, is an attraction almost two hundred years old. It was carved by a local chronicler, typist and also a bit of an entrepreneur Eduard Vater. Of course he would be happy, if he could hear the high pitch of today’s children, because the search for and especially the finding of more and more men does not take place in silence.

To be in Jetřichovice and not climb Falkenštejn, that wouldn’t make sense. The famous Jetřichovick viewpoints can be quite difficult to access in a snowy winter (if there is no snow – hooray for them!), on the other hand, you can reach the remains of Falkenstein castle at any time. Raven rock is simply impressive from here and you will never get tired of looking at it.

From Jetřichovice to the river Kamenice, this is another almost mandatory trip. A silent river shrouded in snow ghosts is so different from a singing whimsical summer stream, that it is definitely worth walking around the breathtaking Jetřichovická Běla to its mouth in Kamenice and a little further, because that’s about it, what is hiding behind a massive rock, You simply cannot deprive your children of that.

Dolský mill. The most fabulous place in the country. However, fairy tales have already been filmed here. As it seems, that a few of those devils simply had to stay here somewhere and play cards with Kamenický waterman after evenings in the mill.

What do you say? That I should give the devil a break, those that make you want warmth? So let’s warm up! Literally a few steps from the boarding house, children will roll their eyes at a live blacksmith in a real forge. Kovář Míla will be happy to show them, how the hearth is lit, how they hammer with a sledgehammer and a blacksmith’s hammer, and you and the children in the adjacent Barn will marvel at the gallery of magical angels, candlesticks, birds, fish and other triumphs of human creativity.

Where else could it be so warm and at the same time extraordinary things could be experienced there… Well, in the glassworks after all. And that there are! How about going to Kunratic near Cvikov to Jiří Pačinek’s glass factory? Why? Maybe because of the magical garden, which is in full bloom even in winter, because the glass does not deteriorate even in the coldest weather.

In the heat, even in the heat of the glassworks, children can try something from the art of master glassmakers. Who could resist…

Just a little further, in Lindava, the longest village in the world (at least that’s how it always seemed to me), under the mysterious hill of Ortel, you will also find the Ajeto glassworks with a glassmaking pub and a glassmaking operation, which can be viewed from the observation deck. Of course, it is necessary to drive here in the morning, during, when do glassmakers work?.

You’ll see things here too, over which your mind will stand. Children are usually amazed by it immediately, what glassmakers can do with hot glass, how the most fragile of fragile beauties are born under their hands.

A few kilometers further, in Nové Bor, in the Novotný glass factory, in addition to the gallery and shop, a very decent restaurant awaits you, but whose greatest advantage does not lie in the mind of the cooks, but in that, that while you are debunking tenderloin, you are looking through a giant glass wall directly at the glass furnaces.

Quiet strength. Order. Championship. Imaginativeness. One would look at that endlessly, because if someone can do something perfectly, it’s captivating and addicting.

Only, you know it. An adult could stand watching the clock for hours, but children must be constantly excited, change, something new, something else… Just no boredom! So let’s go out again, for example to the longest avenue in the Czech Netherlands leading from Krásná Lípa to the defunct village of Skřivánčí pole.

Maybe we’ll be lucky for a robin or a buzzard here, ravens, dates… (Photo by Václav Sojko)

… or even a herd of roe deer, a frightened badger or a fox looking for something to eat in the meadows. This is unlikely to happen to children in a city park – and here it is almost a common thing.

If you are surprised, how varied the offer is, what to interest and entertain children during their spring break, save the surprise for later, because now we will go to the tops of the hills and climb the stairs to the observation decks of countless lookouts. This is one of the most beautiful, stone lookout tower on the third highest peak of the Lusatian Mountains, Jedlová .

Admit it yourself – she’s not a beauty? And next to it, a pleasant restaurant operates year-round. Now you might be thinking – and it’s worth clawing your way up to? So watch…

I think, that it is totally worth it.

For all lookouts, how many are around, let’s look at two more. But you can also go to Děčínský Sněžník, Smoker, Dancers, Weifberg… and it opens a few more viewpoints until the summer season. The country looked around, just. So first Wolf Mountain.

She is beautiful, whether there is snow or not.

It is the oldest in the region and the ascent to it is not difficult at all, one short sharp climb – and you’re there. And the view?

No comment.

We were already hanging around Studenec. So why not go all the way to the top and climb the spiral stairs of the observation tower leading to the next view, which penetrates the soul and excites even cynical creatures, what children are like, let alone adults and teenagers. (Photo by Václav Sojko)

And carefully when descending! Spotting a herd of chamois on the stony seas of Studene is nothing extraordinary – after all, there are already two hundred and fifty individuals living here. (photo by Václav Sojka)

To recommend the Way of the Cross… well, that is perhaps even unnecessary. After all, we are already on this path

The scapulars graduated once. Only in the summer. And winter is a great graphic artist and painter.

Walk all the way to Tolštejn, it’s a double experience. Firstly, from the beautiful journey itself, and then – the terraces built in the ruined castle, it’s not exactly a lookout point, but the views from here are spectacular.

Although the list is far from complete, it’s time to take a last walk through the snowy forest.

The sun is slowly getting stronger, but the evenings are still hungry and come earlier, than one would wish. But the evenings here… hmm, it tends to be a bewitching adventure of light and dark, fog and shadows, earthiness and that, which is beyond us. (photo by Václav Sojka)

So come. Make a call, write, book a spring holiday stay and offer your children things, which they may not even have dreamed of. Because… how long will they be kids? you say, much shorter time, than we and they would like. A, if you will allow one personal experience, there is nothing stronger in human life, more beautiful and meaningful, than when your grown child tells you one day: “I had a beautiful childhood. Thank you.”

For an idyll, friendly welcome and hill experiences, Irena and Aleš Kubic. And it is, believe, very solid warranty.

Wrote: Rostislav Skrivánek

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1. Icewaterfalls

When it is below zero for a long time, water dripping from the ubiquitous sandstone rocks slowly creates glacial formations. Sometimes they are complete icefalls several meters high, sometimes long icicles. The most famous ice karsts are along Brtnické and Vlčí potok. We call them Brtnice icefalls. You want to go through almost all of them? Leave your car in Krásná Lípa, arrive by bus 407 to the village of Brtníky and walk back along the green road through Šternberk in the direction of Kyjov and Krásná Lípa.

Other lesser-known ice beauties can be found in Pavlína Valley and in the river valley kamenice.

2. On snowshoes almost anywhere

imagine, that you walk through the forest and all the branches, stones, the trees and bushes are covered with snow. You just around “you are sailing” on snowshoes and you stick to the direction, where you want to go. Go straight to the top of the mountains for example: Luž, Jedlova, Chřibský vrch, Vlčí Hora is an adventure in winter. And if the inversion is down, there is a blue sky above…

3. Crystal Valley or traveling to glassmakers

Who doesn’t know Czech glass? – Bohemian Crystal. And from Bohemian Cottage is the center of glassmaking, Nový Bor is just over the hill, more precisely, over a saddle in the Lusatian Mountains called Šébr. Many well-known glass companies and family businesses are located in Nové Bor and its surroundings. A large number of them are ready to show tourists their craft. And that right in front of the glass furnace.

A brief list:

Glass faktory Jílek – Kamenicky Šenov
The windows – AND IT IS DONE – Nový Bor and Lindava
Glass factory Novotný – New Bor
Jiří Pečinek – Kunratice near Cvikov
Haidl and Son – Svojkov
Glass factory Jilek – Kamenicky Senov

More details on www.crystalvalley.cz

4. Cross-country skiing or on foot

It depends on the snow conditions, but when he attacks in the Lusatian Mountains, tak nad 600 meters, the snow usually remains and scooters come out to prepare the running tracks.

Ski Polevsko they prepare the cross-country tracks from Kytlice to the seat of glass masters Kamenický Šenov. So you can cross-country ski even to Lord’s rock (The Proud Princess was also there).

Secret tip: Put on your cross-country skis in the village of Zahrady u Rumburka (railway station) and you can go along the railway line in the direction of Panský, Brtníky, Mikulášovice and back. You will discover places, where you don’t just look (unless you are traveling by train, which only runs in the summer, so the road is safe in winter for this adventure trip). More here.

5. Design obsession

When I accompany tourists, we always have to jump somewhere for a beer or a coffee or just sit in one place, where is something “Magnificent”. Let’s try to stop for an excellent coffee at Coffee&Book in Děčín, in the Atelier cafe, where you walk on the floor “poured with coffee” or in the Hosana cafe in Varnsdorf, where the clock is not ticking . You can find a large selection of bitter liquor flavors at the Kocour brewery, where you listen to the beer clock. The artistic experience will absorb you in the Cifra gallery in Doubice or the Perla National Gallery in Kyjov. If you are looking for a quiet, fragrant environment, stop at the Nobilis Tilia teahouse in Vlčí Hora.

Community Sauna Otuzovarna

Quite place with excelent views from finnish sauna. Typical natural swimming lake is part of area. You need to test.

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