Eagle (Orlické) mountains and foothills

This breathtaking area is a paradise for hikers, cyclists, and cross-country and downhill skiers. The mountains and their foothills are not regarded as difficult hiking terrain. You will not find giant hotel complexes here, but rather accommodation in smaller facilities or private residences. Another advantage of this area is the absence of big city agglomerations – the local towns are rather small and clean and throughout the region you will come across superb specimens of rustic architecture. This area is rich in religious monuments, castles, chateaux, natural wonders and traditional crafts. It is an ideal little nook for family holidays, as well as for those seeking the thrill of discovery.

The hills themselves and the populated areas closest to them are part of the Sudeten district, which had a predominantly German population before World War II, so the former names of the settlements were also German.

The ridge of the Eagle (Orlické) Mountains runs along the Czech-Polish border. Its highest point is situated in its northern part, where we can also find Velká Deštná, the highest peak of the range (1115 metres). To the southeast, the rounded spine drops gradually to the Divoká Orlice River.

The northern part of the Eagle (Orlické) Ridge primarily forms a national border, then recedes slightly into the interior, giving way to a very picturesque landscape, with very little territory being exploited for tourism, between the hills and the borders. This area is known as Záhoří. Its most charming feature is a meadow of the Divoká Orlice acting as a national border. The valleys that extend southward from the ridge of the Orlické Mountains are long, often romantic, forested and frequently bear traces of ancient craftsmanship: on the banks of streams you will come across traces of ancient flumes that powered cotton and weaving mills, and in some parts you will also discover the remains of long-gone glassworks.

From the northern side one can access the Orlické Mountains from Nové Město nad Metují and from the upland centre of Olešnice v Orlických horách.

Opportunities for active holidays

“The Eagle Mountains were made for wandering”. And sure enough, if we were to divide regions according to the type of hiking that they are best suited for, the Orlické Mountains and their foothills would dominate the categories of rambling, exercising, strolling, making discoveries, and the like. In short, every form of outdoor tourism.

However, that is not to say that you can’t do anything else there.

The natural starting points to the Eagle Mountains are Náchod, Nové Město nad Metují and Rokytnice v Orlických horách – all of these can be accessed by train. It is necessary to continue by bus directly to main gathering points locted in Olešnice v Orlických horách, Deštné, Říčky or Rokytnice v Orlických horách.

On foot or by bike

Even if we disregard the natural beauty of the region’s countryside, you will find plenty of motivation to go hiking. The ridge of the Orlický Mountains is round and slanted, and you can count the number of really sharp rises on one hand. From the highest peak of Velká Deštná the massif tapers off gradually, so those who like to hike at a more relaxed pace can plan a route that more or less takes them down the peak. Those who enjoy long trails will definitely appreciate that the red Alois Jirásek hiking trail runs along the ridge of the Eagle Mountains. Setting off from Nové Město nad Metují, you can take the path all the way to Králický Sněžník. There is another long trail that runs through the foothills. It is a yellow trail that leads to Ústí nad Orlicí.

Natural wonders and protected landscapes, such as the Bukačka primeval forest, which represents natural indigenous fir-beech growth, offer further motivation. There are three educational trails in the protected landscape area of the Orlický Mountains: one runs around Deštné, it is circular (the aforementioned Bukačka is situated on this trail) and covers a total distance of 15 kilometres.

The second trail, which is 17 kilometres long, runs along the ridge of the Eagle Mountains from the saddle under Šerlich na Mezivrší and then descends towards Říčky. The third educational trail is about 13 kilometres long and starts by the highway to Bartošovice, runs through Zemská brána and ends by Klášterec nad Orlicí.

Others may find motivation to go hiking in the area’s history of glassmaking – the remains of glassworks can still be found in the valleys of the Eagle Mountains to this day. Another feature that attracts hikers to the Eagle Mountains is a long row of new-age menhirs – fortifications from the end of the first republic forming a system that has been preserved in the Eagle Mountains in its most complete state. The most interesting complexes are Hanička, Dobrošov and Bouda. Wandering through the bunkers has an additional charm – you will discover places that are far from being as frequented as the ridge trail and you will be strolling along the supply routes for the bunkers.

It goes without saying that all of these routes can be travelled on foot or by mountain or trekking bike.

Navigating the rivers of Orlík

If you know how to handle a paddle properly, you can treat yourself in spring, when the snow is melting or after a heavy rainfall. You don’t need to own a paddle or a boat as you can rent them. The Divoká Orlice River generally has favourable water conditions from the Nekoř pod Pastvinskou dam, and the segment to the river’s confluence with the Tichá Orlice River is 88 km long. According to international classification, the river’s difficulty is ZW-C, with the exception of the so-called Litický Bend, where the river is much wilder (WW II – 2nd-degree rapids).

When the water levels are sufficient, the Tichá Orlice is navigable from Lichkov; however, the river is far from “tichá” (calm) as it has a difficulty level of WW III. Less experienced boaters can start out in Jablonná or in Letohrad. The lower part of the river meanders swiftly and has a difficulty level of WW I. It continues to Hradec Králové along Spojená Orlice, where the river is calmer and flows through flood-plain forests.

The mountain tributaries of Divoká Orlice are navigable when the water levels are higher, that is in spring and after heavy rains. The Bělá River and Golden Brook (Zlatý potok) offer pleasant boating; both have about 30 kilometres of navigable water.

Downhill and cross-country skiing

When it comes to downhill skiing the most famous resorts in the Orlický Mountains are Deštné a Říčky. You can find cross-country trails in the environs of practically every one of the region’s ski resorts. The most popular trails are along the red ridge from Olešnice v Orlických horách through Šerlich, Pěticestí and Hanička, all the way to Zemská brána. In the environs of Deštné and Říčky the trails are as suitable for classic cross-country skiing as they are for the skating style. Cross-country skiers can enjoy a total of 90 kilometres of well-groomed trails.

To simplify transportation to and from the hills in summer, a “cyclebus” (a bus with a trailer for bicycles) operates from mid-May to the end of September. They run from the foothill towns to the mountain ridges. A skibus operating on a similar principle during winter transports skiers from around mid-December to mid-March. The cyclebuses and skibuses are both operational on Saturdays, Sundays and state holidays.