Malá Úpa combines mountain scenery with a range of discoveries: peaks over 1,000 metres high, traces of ore mining, historic architecture, trails and ski slopes. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, choosing a main focus can help you plan your trip: will it be centred on mining and rock formations, planning a route or skiing the resort’s slopes?
Mountain Scenery and Mining History
There are ten peaks over 1,000 metres high in Malá Úpa and the surrounding area. The Mining Trail offers a tangible link between the landscape and its history: it has 16 stops in Malá Úpa and three more on the way to the neighbouring Polish town of Kowary. In Malá Úpa, the trail passes traces of ore mining and the entrance to an exploratory adit from the 1950s. It also showcases examples of Krkonoše rock types and rock formations. When choosing a route, you can therefore take into account both the mining history and the trail’s geological features.
A Church and Brewery with Their Own Histories
The single-nave Church of St Peter and St Paul in Malá Úpa was built between 1788 and 1799. After a fire in 1806, it was restored and remodelled. The dates therefore distinguish the original construction period from the building’s later alteration.
Pivovar Trautenberk also has a history tied to the area: the brewery is housed in the former Tippeltova bouda, later known as Hotel Družba. It brews unpasteurised and unfiltered beer; production details may change. Tours of the area where the beer is brewed are available. If you plan to take a tour, check the current visitor information in advance.
Trails with Different Planning Options
The Pohádková stezka (Fairy Tale Trail) has ten stops. Each has something to entertain visitors, a picture to trace and a fairy tale. You can shorten the route by skipping the section around Kraví hora, or divide it into several days. A map of the Pohádková stezka is available at the information centre in Pomezní Boudy. This gives you the option of taking either a shorter route or spreading the walk over several days.
For cyclists, the KRNAP cycle route 24A, “Okolo Kraví hory”, is a circular route on forest roads. It runs from the church in Malá Úpa to stops 6 and 7 on the Pohádková cesta. Unlike the flexible staging of the Pohádková stezka, the circular route, surface and destinations are specific details to consider when planning this ride. Check route conditions and access rules before setting out.
Ski Resort and Visitor Car Parks
The SKiMU Malá Úpa ski resort consists of the connected areas of Pomezky and U Kostela. Together, they have more than six kilometres of blue and red ski runs. The distance applies to both areas combined, not to each area separately. Run lengths and facilities may change from season to season, so check the latest information before your ski day.
There are four visitor car parks in Malá Úpa. P1 Sportcentrum is the largest car park and is located directly on the Polish border. P2 Infocentrum is beside the information centre and is intended for daytime parking only, until 11 pm; a special rate applies. P3 Zátiší is opposite the Lesní Zátiší restaurant, and P4 Spálený Mlýn is in Dolní Malá Úpa. Parking rules and payment options may change, so check the latest information before you arrive.
Discover more destinations: Horní Marsov, Libňatov, Vilantice, Horni Brusnice, Trutnov, Dvůr Králové Nad Labem, Souvrať, Horni Olesnice.
For the broader travel overview: Trutnov District.
