Ještěd

Ještěd is one of the most distinctive peaks in the whole Czech Republic. It is the highest point of the long Ještěd Ridge, which is separated from the Jizera Mountains by a deep basin holding the sizeable city of Liberec. On the slopes of the mountain lies one of the most modern ski resorts in the country. Its modernisation and expansion were linked to the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships held here in 2009. Skiers have 9 lifts, including two 4-seater chairlifts and an older 2-seater chairlift. The cable car to the summit of Ještěd, on the other hand, serves sightseers only. There are almost 10 km of varied pistes, from short, easy nursery slopes for beginners to a difficult black slalom piste. Separate areas are set aside for children and beginners: one by the central car park (free, of course), the other, Bucharka, near the valley station of the cable car to the summit. In sunny weather the best skiing is on the easy and intermediate south-facing pistes running down from below the Skalka summit; this part of the resort is called Pláně. A big attraction worth an extra hour is the summit of Ještěd itself with the tower that rises from it. Shaped like an inverted funnel, it fits perfectly into the natural line of the ridge as its soaring extension. The hundred-metre-high building houses a three-star hotel and a restaurant, and architects regard it as one of the most beautiful buildings of its kind in the world. The views from the tower are superb: in good weather you can even see Prague. Liberec is also worth a visit. It is sometimes jokingly called the “Czech Innsbruck” (probably because you can get from the city centre to the top of the highest peak around by public transport and cable car), and after a full day on the slopes you can relax in the local Babylon aquapark.