Walking through the White Elbe Valley – The Weber Route
WEBER ROUTE
Blue hiking route: Dívčí lávky (780 m above sea level) – Luční Hut (1,420 above sea level), total length 8.5 km, elevation gain 640 meters.
The route was opened ceremonially more than 100 years ago (1891) and it offers one of the most romantic walks in the Krkonoše Mountains. The valley is embraced with Malý Šišák and Stříbrný hřbet mountains in the north, and with sharp slopes of Kozí hřbety in the south. You will experience numerous phenomena that are characteristic for the Krkonoše Mountains.
Waterfalls
The route starts at Dívčí lávky and leads towards the White Elbe Waterfalls via Červený potok and Hřímavá bystřina. Small, but wild creek, which accompanies you along the route, formed the valley by gradual sinking into the granite bedrock by so called water erosion (its narrow profile resembles letter V). The route then continues from the waterfalls towards U Bílého Labe Hut. The hut is located at the crossing with Dřevařská Route. Čertova strouha Creek flows in here from the side Čertův důl (Devil’s Mine). The route then passes through the second zone of the national park through Bílá louka to Luční Hut.
Luční Hut is the most legendary hut in the Krkonoše Mountains with at least two other “BEST” features. It is a hut with the longest documented history – a stone showing the year of 1623 or 1625 probably denotes the date of reconstruction. At that time, busy farming activities took place on the ridges – livestock was grazing there and grasses were grown (for hay). Thanks to its position on the ancient trading route leading to Silesia, Luční Hut also had a substantial strategic significance – it served as a shelter for travelling traders. After damage, either by fire or snow, it has always been renewed. From the end of 18th century, traders and smugglers were gradually substituted with new visitors of the mountains – tourists. The hut was rebuilt for tourists more than 150 years ago – in 1833. Another modification in 1814 added another “BEST” – 120 rooms for tourists made the hut the biggest one in the mountains. The current form of the hut comes from 1940 (renewed after fire in 1938).