The Snezka Cable Car

The cable car from Pec pod Snezkou climbs to the summit of Snezka in two sections, with a change at the Ruzova hora middle station. The cabins are small four-seaters and the ride takes roughly half an hour in total, lifting you out of valley spruce forest, through the treeline, onto bare stone and dwarf pine. The summit ridge is the state border, so the buildings on top belong to two countries: a Polish meteorological observatory built as a stack of discs, a round Czech post office and a small stone chapel. On a clear day the view runs the length of the Krkonose ridge one way and out over the flat Polish lowland the other.

What you actually see

• The middle station at Ruzova hora - the change point, with a terrace and the first open view up to the summit cone.
• The treeline crossing - the point where spruce stops and dwarf pine and stone take over, visible from the cabin.
• The summit buildings - the disc-shaped Polish observatory, the Czech post office and the stone chapel on the ridge.
• The border ridge - the path along the crest, with the Krkonose on one side and the Polish plain on the other.

When to go

Summer mornings are the safest bet, before afternoon cloud builds on the ridge. The line runs most of the year but stops for wind, ice and an annual maintenance break, so check before driving out. Buy tickets online in the high season. Many people ride up and walk down, which takes about two hours.

Honest expectations

It stops running in strong wind, which on this ridge is common, and the price does not change if the summit is in fog. Queues at the valley station build on fine summer weekends. The summit is cold and windy even in August, and the buildings on top are utilitarian. Cabins are small and cramped for four adults with packs.

Nearby

Pec pod Snezkou has the valley trails, and the Krkonose ridge paths run west toward Spindleruv Mlyn.