Day 1:
All summer I dreamed of going to the mountains by myself, but my mum was not so excited about my idea of going there alone. When I saw a “Giant Mountains” trip listed as one of the NYU Prague events at the start of the fall semester, to say that I was happy would be an understatement.
On the 16th of September, when the sun was still shining like in summer, our group of 14 people set off to spend two unforgettable days in the heart of nature. The program included hiking in the Krkonoše National Park and the mountain Sněžka, which are located in the north of the Czech Republic.
Our journey began at the Vltavska train station in Prague. As the team gathered, I asked everyone what their expectations were for the coming weekend.
“I have no expectations, this is my first time in the mountains”, said Ukrainian student Zlata.
“Oh, I hope to have some ‘Live, Laugh, Love’ memories and cool pictures to send my family”, shared NYU student Gilly-Jo.
Others, like Nicole, expected to gain big muscles, while Pearl wanted to see pretty views and Sloan hoped to get some excellent photos for her photography class.
It was time to hit the road, so everyone took their seats, fastened their seatbelts and got ready for the three-hour drive to our destination. The first stop was at the gas station. At such places, people usually split into two groups: the first group joins the queue to get a hot dog and coffee, while the second group looks for a toilet. We were no exception. 🙂
The road to our first location was incredible. In some places it started to look like the Switzerland I only know from pictures. But if you get carsick, think about the winding roads ahead and try to fall asleep early in the journey (life hack from Liubomyr).
It was around 11 am when we arrived at Špindlerův Mlýn, where we got off the bus and had our first official lunch from Bageterie Boulevard (thank you, NYU staff!). I still remember how Sonia and I tried to walk up the hill and eat at the same time. Don’t try that, it was hard!
5 minutes on another bus and we were there, right at the entrance to the Krkonoše National Park. It was then that I realised that the memory of my phone would be full in two days with all the pictures!
Location 1. Pancava Fall
While exploring the national park, we stopped to admire the highest waterfall in the Czech Republic (148m) in the Labsky dul valley. Sitting on the edge and realising that there was such an immense height under our feet, we were both scared and impressed. The sheer size of the falls was amazing.
Our hike continued for another hour, accompanied by breathtaking views of the Giant Mountains. It was a pleasure to look at the majestic hills that seemed like a silhouette in the distance.
Location 2. Elbe spring
. 
Now we can officially say that we have been to the place where the river Elbe rises and flows through the Czech Republic and Germany to the North Sea. The spring was surrounded by stone paths and looked very small. Being a curious person, I decided to test the temperature with my hand… It was freezing cold. Not many people know that this is only a symbolic place, because the real spring is nearby, but it is not accessible to visitors. There was also a stone wall with the coats of arms of the towns through which the Elbe flows to the North Sea.
Happy and a little tired, we returned to the starting point, where the bus was waiting for us, and set off for the ski resort of Pec pod Sněžkou, situated at the foot of the highest peak in the Czech Republic. Our group checked into the hotel and then had some free time to relax before going to the restaurant. One hour was enough for my friend and me to walk around the whole town. It was very enchanting to see the small waterfalls, the turquoise lake with tiny fish and the sporty people swimming in the cold water (it seemed to be -30 C).
In the evening we all went to the restaurant, the atmosphere of which reminded me of Christmas. The jazzy music and the woollen blankets certainly made for a cosy atmosphere in mid-September.
“It feels like we just got back from skiing,” said someone from the group.
We returned home full, impressed and relaxed. The smell of the pine forest, the mountain air and the freshness helped me to fall asleep within minutes.
Day 2:
We had breakfast and talked about all sorts of things. When asked “What have you been thinking about?” everyone gave a different answer.
“The Roman Empire,” said Gilly-Jo.
“I was connected to the earth mentally,” Sonia replied.
And Heather said they had a conversation about twins, life and things like that.
It was shocking, but almost no one was tired and everyone was ready for the day ahead. Although not my roommate Solomiia, who missed 7 calls from me to wake her up.
It was around 9.15am. Almost everyone started applying sunscreen to their faces (because some of us, including me, were already sunburned). As the town where we were staying was at the foot of Sněžka, we set off on foot. Please ignore the fact that we cheated a bit. (We used a ski lift for the first half, but you don’t know that.) 🙂
The second part of the route we managed on our own. The higher we got, the better the views that opened up in front of our eyes. Our RA Anna, who was also a photographer during the trip, and RA Marketa were the first people to climb to the top. As it is said in memes, the cameraman has to be faster than the football player (Anna reminded me of this meme lol).
“Welcome to Poland!” That’s what I saw as the location on my phone. What? Poland? Yes, because right at the top of Sněžka there is a Czech-Polish border. One foot here, one foot there, and we are in two different countries. The awe-inspiring view from the top of Sněžka certainly made the 30 km drive over the last two days worth it!
Going downhill on a different route, we came across these fluffy sheep, which we were allowed to feed with bread. After lunch at a highland brewery, we sat on the bus back to Prague and fell asleep.
Important information for the walk:
1. Bring sunscreen, a raincoat and a warm jacket (be prepared for all kinds of weather!)
2. Comfortable shoes are a must.
3. Stock up on water (0.5L is not enough)
4. Don’t worry about toilets, there will be some along the way.
5. Find good company for the walk.
6. Enjoy the nature, not the phone (although taking photos is allowed 🙂
Featured image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
