Nahoru Resort Rokytnice

Rokytnice nad Jizerou, in the western part of the Krkonoše, is one of the best Czech winter sports resorts and falls short of the real Krkonoše heavyweights only in reputation: the infrastructure and accommodation are at least as good as in Špindlerův Mlýn or Pec pod Sněžkou. Prices are clearly lower and the journey from Poland is shorter, so it is no surprise that the resort has become more and more popular with Poles in recent years. There are three groups of lifts, not connected by pistes but covered by one ski pass, with a ski bus running between them. Studenov, closer to the town centre, is a complex of 13 T-bars with blue and red pistes. Two smaller areas adjoin Studenov: Pařez and Udatny. Altogether it is a quiet place for beginners and intermediates, known mostly to local skiing enthusiasts. A few kilometres further up the Rokytnice valley, where the road to Vítkovice starts climbing in hairpin bends, lies the second group of lifts, with mainly easy pistes by the Bahýnka, Sacharovka and Modra Hvezda lifts. The main destination for skiers, however, is the Horní Domky area on the slopes of Lysá hora (1,343 m). The lifts here reach 1,315 m, the highest in the whole Krkonoše. This is where you find the longest pistes, of varying difficulty, served by two chairlifts and several T-bars. In total the town offers more than 22 km of downhill pistes and 25 lifts (including two chairlifts). It does not have as much accommodation as nearby Harrachov, let alone Špindlerův Mlýn, but its many guesthouses and private rooms can cater for skiers' needs. The restaurant scene is also fairly well developed. The car park at Horní Domky is small, but a little below the chairlift's valley station there are two large car parks, and free ski buses run from the town centre every half hour.