Špindlerův Mlýn: the "Propojení" project, a historic transformation and an engineering triumph

The long road from vision to reality

Linking the two sides of the valley had been discussed for decades. The first formal traces of the idea appeared in the approved zoning plan as early as 1994, which designated so-called "prospective areas" for new pistes. It was in 2005, however, that the project began to take shape. That year Europa Ecosign prepared development options, including a huge multi-storey car park for 500 cars, with a ski plaza on its roof holding the valley stations of two gondolas.

The road to breaking ground, though, was long and full of administrative hurdles. In 2006 official work began on the 5th amendment to the zoning plan and on the environmental impact assessment (EIA). The following years brought new zoning plans (in 2011 and 2016), and from 2014 the new operator, MELIDA a.s., began final negotiations with the national park authorities. After years of specialist studies, the crucial positive EIA environmental decision was obtained in 2019. In April 2022 the building permit for the P1 terminal and the bridges was issued, followed in January 2023 by the final decision allowing work on the ground to begin.

A compromise with nature: engineering in the service of ecology

Because the project runs through areas under European nature protection, environmental issues were a huge challenge. The original plans from 2005 assumed large-scale felling of forest, from 38 to as much as 56 hectares. Thanks to years of negotiations with the KRNAP management, the project was optimised to the point where the final deforested area came to just 22.16 hectares, a reduction of as much as 60% compared with the initial assumptions. Of this area, the new pistes will take up about 18 hectares and the cableway infrastructure itself just 4.2 hectares.

Crucially, from both a technical and an environmental point of view, the investor had to apply strict forestry compensation measures. These required precise stabilising work, such as specialist loosening (thinning) of the forest edges. The work had to be perfectly synchronised with the natural cycle: the schedule took account of the exact periods of spring and autumn tree growth to minimise the shock to the ecosystem.

Key infrastructure and technical specifications

The technological heart of the project will be the modernised hub where the two mountains meet, Terminal P1, located at the start of the dam on the Elbe. This is where two new cableways will set off.

The first, opening as early as December 2026, will be the technologically advanced six-seater chairlift Audi Line Přehradní. Supplied by the renowned manufacturer Leitner Ropeways, it will carry skiers from the P1 terminal up to the area around the Hromovka station. With maximum comfort in mind, the seats will be heated and fitted with aerodynamic protective bubbles. In 2027, in turn, a second link is due to be installed: a modern ten-seater gondola (cabin lift) towards the summit of Medvědín. Its opening in the 2027/28 season will provide a two-way, fully seamless connection across the whole complex.

The groundworks and hydrological works are just as impressive. In 2023 and 2024 the resort prepared the new pistes Lesní and Přehradní. The resort director believes that thanks to its ideal shaping, unique profile and width, the Přehradní piste will become the best red run in the whole Czech Republic. In addition, the blue piste in the Svatý Petr area was enlarged, and the Vodovodní piste on Medvědín was fitted with an upgraded snowmaking system. A particularly important engineering achievement here was an innovative pumping station drawing water directly from the Labská přehrada dam. This finally made the output of the snow cannons independent of the momentary flow in the Elbe riverbed, guaranteeing reliable snowmaking all winter long.

The ski bridge and the crane operation of the decade

To link the banks of the Elbe and the nearby regional road II/295, major bridge infrastructure had to be built. In November 2025 one of the most spectacular engineering operations in the region took place: the steel load-bearing structure of the main ski bridge was set in place. Because of the load limits on the access roads to Špindlerův Mlýn, a giant LIEBHERR LR 1750 crane was brought in for the job in a suitably adapted configuration. At the time it was the largest machine of its kind in the Czech Republic. For fitting the precise elements of the central part of the span, a smaller but equally specialised LTM 1200 mobile crane was used.

Traffic solutions and a revolution in transport

Linking the two mountains also means a revolution at street level in the resort. Concentrating skier traffic at the P1 terminal and making it possible to ski right in and out (SkiIn-SkiOut) will transform the way visitors are looked after. Guests and residents in the Bedřichov district, which is key for accommodation, will benefit most, gaining direct access on foot to slopes just a few dozen metres away.

The project will remove the need for daily trips by car, taxi or ski bus between the ski areas. This will greatly relieve the narrow historic town centre, cutting traffic jams, noise and exhaust fumes. Ski buses will also no longer have to manoeuvre through icy, cramped streets. Parking is being expanded too: more than 100 new spaces will be built at the P1 terminal right next to the new lifts, an extension is planned for the car park at Zadní Hromovka, while the new entrance to the P2 Hromovka zone has already eased local traffic. All of this is tied together by a new smart traffic guidance system now under construction, which tells drivers in real time about free spaces in each car park.

The engineering schedule for the breakthrough year of 2026

The project is now entering its decisive phase, and the work is following a very precisely planned technical schedule for 2026:

• April: Start of deliveries of drive components for Audi Line Přehradní, deep excavations for the valley station and the necessary utility connections.
• May: Excavations for the top station, clearing of the lift corridors, installation of snowmaking pipes on Medvědín and the start of key work on the road bridge.
• June: Final shaping and contouring of Přehradní, surfacing of the P1 car park, installation of pressure systems in the pumping station and trenching across the Elbe.
• July: Pouring the concrete foundations, precise placing of the massive steel towers (pylons) of the cableway and assembly of the steel frame of the road bridge.
• August: The very demanding process of stretching and tensioning the haul rope, finishing the architectural work on the valley station and clearing the corridors for the future lift to Medvědín.
• September: Completion of the drive stations and platforms, load tests of the lift, installation of fully equipped snow cannons on the pistes and completion of the road bridge structure.
• October: Final machine levelling of the terrain, grass seeding of the slopes as biological protection against erosion, and completion of the top layers of asphalt on the P1 car park.
• November: Technical trial running and state acceptance inspections of the cableway, combined with full-scale start-up of the automatic snowmaking system.
• December 2026: Mandatory as-built surveys, final administration of the facilities and the triumphant opening of the connected infrastructure for trial public use.

The "Propojení" project is proof of how modern engineering can work hand in hand with nature conservation. It is a powerful dose of technology that will change the face of Špindlerův Mlýn for good, taking this Krkonoše resort into the absolute elite of European ski resorts and improving not only comfort but, above all, safety on the slopes and in the streets of the whole region.

Jacek Ciszak / skionline.pl