Jeseníky Mountains (Summer)

When the skis and boards have carved their last on the high slopes of the Jeseníky Mountains, a low-slung range located in the Czech Republic’s remote northeast corner, this by no means marks the end of things until the next chairlift cranks up the following November. From April to October the summer tourist season gets into gear, with hikers and walkers reclaiming the peaks, museums and castles throwing open their gates and nature reserves reverting to their verdant state. The classic warm-weather outing in these parts is a hike to the top of the region’s highest peak, Mount Praděd (4,892 ft, 1,491 m) where a hotel and restaurant are topped ...

When the skis and boards have carved their last on the high slopes of the Jeseníky Mountains, a low-slung range located in the Czech Republic’s remote northeast corner, this by no means marks the end of things until the next chairlift cranks up the following November. From April to October the summer tourist season gets into gear, with hikers and walkers reclaiming the peaks, museums and castles throwing open their gates and nature reserves reverting to their verdant state. The classic warm-weather outing in these parts is a hike to the top of the region’s highest peak, Mount Praděd (4,892 ft, 1,491 m) where a hotel and restaurant are topped by a TV tower. A more recent addition to the list of activities the Jeseníky have to offer is the mountain-top Dlouhé Stráně hydroelectric power station, an incredible piece of engineering and voted one of the "Seven Wonders of the Czech Republic" in 2005. The small town of Velké Losiny is another popular summer destination where the main draw is the hand-made paper factory. Paper has been produced here using traditional methods since the 16th century and high-quality parchment from the factory is used for all important state documents in the Czech Republic.

About the Expert

Marc Di Duca has written and updated more than 40 guides, mainly for Lonely Planet but also for AA, Thomas Cook, Berlitz and Bradt. Having spent the last 20 years exploring the former communist world, his main field of expertise is Eastern Europe and Siberia.