The Krkonoše Mountains, which were only given this name at the end of the 19th century, are the largest mountains in the Czech Republic and Silesia. It stretches along the border between the Polish voivodeship of Lower Silesia and the Czech Republic and reaches an altitude of 1,602 metres with the Schneekoppe (Czech "Sněžka", Polish "Śnieżka"). The mountain range has a sub-alpine character with glacial cirques, mountain lakes and the steep rocky flanks of the mountains. Close to the ridge, around eight kilometres northwest of the centre of Špindlerův Mlýn (Spindleruv Mlyn), the Elbe has its source at an altitude of almost 1,400 metres.
Contrary to what the name suggests, the Giant Mountains are not an overly large area. However, you should like mountains, and some of them also have decent gradients, for example up to Vrbatova bouda via Horní Mísečky: almost 1,000 metres of elevation gain over 20 kilometres, and the last few on quite rough asphalt with a maximum gradient of twelve percent. It rolls well to Spindlerova bouda via Špindlerův Mlýn. The long stretches along the Jizera are a relaxed ride. The roads are in good condition almost everywhere, traffic is usually manageable away from the main roads and drivers are friendly and considerate.
