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In the Krkonose Mountains, you'll find more waterfalls than in any other Czech mountain range. Roaring in spring, murmuring in summer, hidden beneath an icy crust in winter, yet still very much alive.
They tumble over the edges of cirques and crash against the walls of basins. Sunbeams dance in their drops, reflecting all the colors of the rainbow. Some are as thin as a silvery thread, others roar across the entire width of the riverbed and whip the water into a dangerous dance as they hit. Which one will you choose as the target for your Krkonoše wanderings?
The king of Czech waterfalls, at least in terms of height, is the Pancava. With a total length of 148 meters, it cascades down the terraces of the Labske jamy Pits. It is also the highest waterfall in all of non-Alpine Central Europe. However, keep in mind that you will hardly see it as it appears in photos. The cascades are only minimally visible from the path. Still, standing at the spot where the Pancava crosses the edge of the cirque is an amazing experience. It's especially breathtaking at sunrise, when the sun peeks over the horizon and gradually pours light and warmth into the dark Labsky Dul Valley.
Waterfall on the map
Just two kilometers from Harrachov roars the most water-rich of the Krkonoše waterfalls, formed by stepped granite blocks. Although it's "only" ten meters high, it's massive, especially in the spring months. Here, the Mumlava river flows wildly, through a wide bed full of boulders, pebbles, and dangerous potholes. The largest pothole in the Mumlava is more like a cauldron, measuring 7 by 5.5 meters. Mistaking such a spot for a calm pool could be very dangerous. The potholes are over two meters deep! The whirlpool is very strong and it's hard to escape it back to the surface.
The Labe River, together with the Rhine, is the only major European river that has its own waterfall so close to its source. After one kilometer, the Labe is still just a small stream and the waterfall therefore does not have a particularly large flow. However, it fans out into an impressive shape, reaching a width of up to 10 meters during the spring thaw. Descend to it just a few dozen meters from Labska bouda Chalet and view it from the balcony lookout.
The Hutsky Steam springs beneath the Dvoracky Chalet and flows down the slopes of Lysa hora Mountain. The waterfall in its upper course is not particularly mighty, but its magic comes from the surrounding, mostly beech forests. In the autumn, when their leaves turn every shade of yellow and red, the waterfall looks like a thin silver thread weaving through a tie-dyed cloak. It is over 16 meters high in total, and you can admire it from the viewpoint above it.
Just a few steps below the source of the Upa river, in a place inaccessible to the average tourist, one of the most impressive waterfalls in the Krkonoše mountains is hidden in the heart of a protected landscape. The Upper Upa Waterfall falls from a height of 129 meters and rightfully ranks among the highest in the country. There is no path directly to the waterfall. But don’t despair. You can spot its silhouette from the blue-marked trail leading from Obri dul Valley towards the former Obri bouda Chalet. And if you make it all the way up to Snezka, this hidden gem will open up before you in a bird’s eye view. About a kilometer lower down, at the bottom end of Upska jama, lies the Lower Upa Waterfall. This one, too, is in the most strictly protected area of the Krkonose National Park, and so it also remains out of reach of tourist trails.
At the end of the 19th century, the Krkonose Mountains were hit by a major flood. To prevent it from happening again, the Bile Labe River basin was modified and its stream cleared. To this day, we can observe the results of natural granite processes that have created many small rapids, cascades, and waterfalls in its riverbed, turning the brook’s flow into a picturesque spectacle. And why 'Bílé' (White)? Watch the velvety soft water of the stream as it glides over pebbles, foams in the rapids, and under small waterfalls. Does it also seem snowy white to you?
One of the most beautiful spots formed by the Bílé Labe is the Plotnovy Waterfall. It is 5 meters high and resembles a slide ending in a pool that tempts you to cool off.