Černý Důl – Mining History, Trails and Černá hora

Černý Důl lies at the foot of Černá hora in the valley of the Čistá stream. The village combines a clearly recognizable mining history with short educational trails, hiking paths, cycling routes and the Černý Důl Ski Area. This creates a destination where culture, landscape and active days can be combined within a compact thematic area.

Mining History and Historic Places

The origins of Černý Důl are connected with the beginnings of ore mining in the Krkonoše Mountains. In the valley around the Čistá stream, the beginnings of iron ore mining date back to 1383. The Muzeum Podzemí Krkonoš offers an appropriate opportunity to explore the subject in greater depth: Its permanent exhibitions and exhibition rooms are located in the basement of the Černý Důl municipal office building.

The historic villagescape also includes the Kostel svatého Michaela. The Roman Catholic branch church was formerly a parish church, belongs to the Janské Lázně parish and has been protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic since 3 May 1958. Next to the church is a landscaped park with the Way of the Cross dating from 1842. This historic monument comprises 14 stone chapels and complements the museum visit with a quieter cultural site outdoors.

Educational Trails and Walking Routes at the Limestone Quarry

Several routes make the local landscape tangible. The Vápenická educational trail begins in the square in Černý Důl, is approximately 0.8 km long and explains local limestone extraction using historic lime kilns, an old quarry and information about limestone processing. The short route is suitable if you are looking for a compact introduction to the subject without having to plan a longer route.

The Vycházková stezka Okolo lomu is an approximately 3.7 km circular route from the square in Černý Důl around the limestone quarry and back along the ski area. Another option is Pěšník, an approximately 3.5 km family-friendly walking route between Černý Důl and Cistá, which runs away from road traffic.

Ski Area, Cycling and Views

The Černý Důl Ski Area has wide, clear pistes with a gentle gradient and two chairlifts. The SkiResort also includes its largest learning zone here, with two conveyor belts, a children’s lift and professional lessons from the SkiResort Live ski school. Free ski buses on four main routes connect five areas in SkiResort ČERNÁ HORA - PEC, including Janské Lázně, Černý Důl, Pec pod Sněžkou and Svoboda nad Úpou.

The surroundings are also varied for cycling: Near Černý Důl, there is a broad network of marked cycle routes of varying difficulty, supplemented by orientation maps and rest areas. The Kolem Černé hory cycle route begins in Černý Důl, follows paved and unpaved sections and offers views of the landscape. The Bönischovy boudy viewpoint is located above Černý Důl. From there, you can enjoy long-distance views in every season; the viewpoint is also suitable for watching sunsets.

Which Accommodation Suits Your Stay

When looking for a hotel or other accommodation in Černý Důl, you can first decide on your preferred focus: historic discoveries in the village, a route around the limestone quarry, a walk to Cistá, winter sports or cycling. Some of the described trails and cycle routes begin in Černý Důl, while the viewpoint above the village and the SkiResort connections open up additional excursion options.

Other Locality Pages

Other locality pages lead to Dolní Olešnice, Borovnice U Staré Paky, Horni Brusnice, Hořejší Vrchlabí, Velehrádek, Dolníky and Zábřezí-Řečice.

To the higher-level travel overview: Trutnov District.