Orlická range route

You can use (depending on weather conditions)  shorter routes for excursions with children but also the routes for „strong men“.

We find several centres from which we can make acquintance of  Orlické Mountains. From west there are the communities of Olešnice or Deštné , from the opposite part  there are the communities of Říčky or Rokytnice.

Deštné is well-known centre of descend skiing. Šerlišský mlýn is a stand-point for ski-running routes accross range towards Olešnice, or via Velká Deštná (the peak of Orlické Mountains – 1115 m ) in the direction to Zdobnice and Říčky.

The interesting sections for ski-running there are not only on a mountain- range. Now, it would be possible to „cross“ the border . The respective cross-point for running to Poland is Vrchmezí (Gora Orlica- 1084 m) and descend to Poland ski-centre on the opposite part of Bohemian point of Šerlich ( 1026 m).  Provided we overcome the road, we find in deep forests several tourist routes without civilization.  The paths are moving in an altitude  between 700-800 m, they are not rich on violent descends and ascents. The return way is possible across Orlice bridges , attention,  they are not  everywhere, the  easiest access is near to communities of  Trčkov or Orlické Záhoří. Jirásek-Path leads  further across mountain-range of Vřesník, Koruna and Střední vrch ( height of 1000 m), to the area of Zdobnice, Říčky and Rokytnice v Orlických horách. The town of Rokytnice could also become suitable stand-point for excursions.

From the upper towage-station  you find an arranged path , in direction to the mountain-range route. We meet it  near to Panské pole, where we see the  block-houses  of former border-fortifications. There is a bus –stop  here, as well as a refreshment point available.  The famous fortification  „Hanička“ is situated nearby, we get there via short diversion from main mountain-range to the left direction. Further, it is possible to descend from the range to the community of Neratov and try to continue along the river of Divoká Orlice (Wild Orlice). Anyway, we recommend you to respect the peaks and through the undulated path to pass  Anenský vrch up to Pěticestí (Five-paths)

From main mountain-range you can choose several paths, some nice descends, to Říčky and Zdobnice. The return way from Říčky to Rokytnice is easy, along Říčky-river  and then from Julia-Valley across  table-lands, whereas from Zdobnice we recommend you to use the local traffic, but attention: its time-table is limited.

Along the whole mountain-range path we find many block-houses and fortifications of the Second  World War., accross the whole Orlické Mountains.

The roads converging from mountain- range to the valley of Divoká Orlice (river forms here the border with Poland) as well as to inland are not stretched  and the ski-descends are mostly quite „wild“, especially in the case of narrow bridges and foot-bridges. We recommend you therefore to use wider ski instead of running ski. Orlické Mountains-range route  ends near to Land-Gate, where Divoká Orlice-river enters to Bohemian territory. The river forms sharp bend  here, and the road- bridge to Čihák  creates a beautiful, under flood very difficult rapid , turning to southern direction, to Pastviny-Dam.

Further, to  smuggler´s foot-bridge near to the Land-Gate, the path is violently descending , and , if we wish to return back to the range through Pišlova Alley, we have to rise sharply on a level of seven hundreds of meters  at least. On a map we find a lot of excursions (except of mountain-range route), so it is worth to pay attention to a week´s stay at least,  in order to make acquintance with whole Orlické Mountains, provided favourable snow conditions are available.  

Text/foto: Vojta Jančar