A warm, friendly cottage rebuilt this summer by local craftsmen and furnished with antiques and comfortable sofas and beds. A wonderful space made cozy in the winter by a wood stove. Tastefully and simply renovated, it will provide a comfortable base for a couple, a family, or a group of friends. As you enter, there is a large hall, with kitchen, dinning and bathroom on the right, and living room on the left. A master bedroom and two guest bedroom are upstairs. All bed linens and kitchenware are supplied. 

Superbly located right in the renowned vacation area of North Bohemia, this magical house can be your base for day hikes, skiing, biking or tennis. A ski lift is across the road, and only a short drive up to several more lifts. Cross country ski trails start almost from the front door. This is really the place to be for sport in the Czech Republic. That said, all the nature, castles and history you could hope to find is also around you.

The village of Josefuv Dul is about 3 kilometers long and follows the Kamenica river, which begins just above in the mountains. The town has a rich glass making history and the impressive Austro-Hungarian Empire era factories still line the river. There are small downhill ski runs all along it, and up the Jedlova river, where the cottage is, starts the xc trails. In the summer all the great ski trails also make great bike and walking trails. There are hundreds of kilometers of well marked trails, and on many trials there are old mountain huts where a fabulous lunch can be had for a very good price. Josefuv Dul is in the middle of the Jizerka mountains, and the trails head east into the Giant Mountains, with Snezka being the tallest mountain in the Czech Republic at 1602 meters. There are also trails that head west towards Bedrichov, another vacation centre. The mountains are in a micro-climate, so although they are not as tall as the alps, the fauna and snow depths are similar to what would be found at double the altitude.

Nice walks or bike rides in the area include Nova Louka Chata (Chata means cabin, or mountain house), which has a famous restaurant and is well known for their deer meat, which is hunted locally. Not far from Nova Louka is Cerny Nisa lake, which is the beginning of the Nisa river. In the summer it is a nice place to swim. Also in the area is the Prezidentska Chata with great food and nice atmosphere. Near it is Kralovka which has a tower from which you can see the area. There is a bowling alley in town, and clay tennis courts nearby.

Josefuv Dul can be reached either from Tanvald or Jablonec, and is near the largest town in the area, Liberec. Both Jablonec and Liberec have much to offer, though Liberec is larger (100,000 people) and a little more cosmopolitan. Liberec has a rich history and was one of the wealthiest cities in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was a textile, glass and manufacturing centre during the 19th century and a walk down Masarykova street from the town square to the zoo will allow you to see the many great mansions built by the former millionaires. Today the city is the second fastest growing in the Czech Republic. There are many good restaurants, two movie theatres, a nice zoo, two indoor swimming pools with water slides and massage facilities, a natural history museum focused on the area, good shopping, a theatre and opera house, a childrens puppet theatre, library with books in English which can be taken out for a short one-time fee, the District Gallery with Dutch, French, and Czech paintings (www.ogl.cz), the Posta Cafe with its neo-rococo interior, the Botanical Gardens with nearly 10,000 plant species, the Lidove Sady cultural center with lots of attractions for children, and much more. Above Liberec is the hotel Jested, a conical tower with a great view over the city and the surrounding area. You can take the tram from the centre and walk to the top, drive and park at the bottom, or drive all the way up. The architecture is world famous and a must see. All the restaurants in the area are extremely good value. Buses to Liberec run from Bedrichov station, though they stop at 6 p.m.

The nearby town of Janov nad Nisou (Janov above the Nisa River) has a toboggan slide in the summer. Also nearby is a horse farm where you can go riding.

The train station is a couple hundred yards from the cottage and can be taken to or from Prague, or to Liberec or Harrachov, a major ski area nearby.

If you have a car there are many short day trips that can be made. Castles in the area include Lemberk, which often has a glass exhibit, Grabstejn, which has a music festival each summer, Sychrov, which has amazing woodwork inside, and the castle in Frydlant. There are also many beautiful churches, notably the basilica in Jablonne v Podjestedi, and the basilica in Hejnice. Napoleon spent the night in Jablonne v Podjestedi and the house where he slept has a historical marker on it. A nice castle ruin in the area is Frydstejn in Mala Skala, which is a very nice village with a wide river and canoe rentals.

A little farther out, about a 40 minute drive, is an area known as Bohemian Paradise and is full of things to see. In prehistoric times, the whole region was submerged by a Cretaceous sea. When the sea disappeared, substantial sediments remained, creating an extensive sandstone tableland. What is there today are rock towers and other unique formations. There are nice walks and a striking castle ruin, Trosky. The castle was built on two natural rock towers. The towers are known as The Virgin and The Hag. Near Trosky is the castle Hruba Skala. Past Bohemian Paradise is the town of Jicin, which has a nice square and monuments to the 1866 battle between Austro-Hungarian and German armies.

Another nice car trip is to Spindleruv Mlyn, a winter ski center that has a road to the top of the Krkonoska mountains. From there you can walk to the top of Snezka in one direction, or to a nice Chata the other way with good food and atmosphere. From Pec there is a hiking trail or a chairlift.

Other possible day trips: The Polish town of Jelenia Gora is about an hours drive and has nice views of the mountains from that side. The German town Zittau is about 35 minutes away, and the castle Grabstejn is on the way. There is an amazing rock formation in Kamenicky Senov called Panska Skala which is also very interesting to see. Past it is Decin, an old spa town which is a bit run down, but the Labe (Elbe) river flows North from there to Dresden and along the river are some nice spots. Just over the border, on the road to Dresden, is Konigstein, another very special castle. Dresden is about an hour and a half drive.

Prague is only 60 miles away, and easy to get to.

There is of course tons more to do, and there are books and maps here in the cottage which will help you plan many other excursions. If you would like to rent bikes, please let us know and we will arrange it.
 

Jana has lived in the area all of her life, speaks excellent English, and can direct you to any venue, whether for shopping, personal care, or pleasure. Marcus is a native English speaker and is extremely knowledgeable about the culture, and vast array of sports, and particularly hiking, in the area. Both are warm and friendly hosts who will ensure that your stay is memorable.  

The cottage comprises 3 bedrooms in total; 2 double, 1 twin and 1 cots. The property also has 2 double sofa beds located in the living room. This gives room for up to 8 people. Bed linen and towels are provided for your use.

The cottage has 1 bathrooms and 1 WCs for your party's use.

The cottage has television dvd, satellite/cable. The music system will play cds, radio. If you need to keep in contact there is a telephone for incoming and outgoing calls.

There is room for 6 in the living room and 6 in the dining room. The open fire can be used to create a comfortable atmosphere. To prepare food you will find a cooker, an oven, a microwave, a fridge, a freezer, a kettle, a toaster. You will also find a washing machine, an iron and ironing board. The owner has also provided cutlery, crockery, glassware, cooking utensils.

This is a non-smoking cottage

Pets are welcome
Dogs only that stay off furniture and are well behaved. 

Not suitable for wheelchairs 

The cottage is in a very quiet area. It has a east facing garden, a west facing patio area, a east facing balcony, a barbeque. If you are driving there is private parking with the outside areas of the house having external lighting.

The cottage is right beside swimming, fishing, walking, cycling, mountain biking, skiing/snowboarding, a restaurant, a food shop.

Close to the cottage you will find horse riding, tennis, historic sites, a museum, a theatre/cinema.

Within easy reach of the cottage you will find a beach, water skiing, climbing, golf, a zoo, shopping areas, a themepark.

Over 300 miles of groomed xc-ski trails. Downhill skiing across at three areas nearby.

Ice hockey, ski jumping, aqua park, castles.

The cottage is....

70 min from Prague airport.
100 min from Dresden.

Any day of the week.

Any day of the week.

3 PM

10 AM

Alan says: "My family and myself had a wonderful week staying at Otto's - we loved the 'boheminan' ambience of the accommodation, with its antique painted funiture, large rooms (bags of space) and expansive grounds. A great place to relax. The area has plenty of attractions - we would have liked to have spent an extra week. Marcus the owner is very helpful and provided a mass of information about the area as well as his own well written list of recommended things to do. Other nice touches were the availability of a mobile phone if we wanted to call him anytime for advice (we didn't need to as his written info was so helpful) and a well stocked library (including DVDs). We stayed in the summer and did a lot of walking in the mountains. Definitiely recommended, especially for 'arty' types (and sporty types..and everyone else for that matter)."

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Last minute discount!! 25% discount if booking start date is less than 16 days away.
Long stay discount!! 10% discount if booking length is equal to or more than 14 days.
Early Bird stay discount!! 10% discount if booking start date is greater than 6 months away.