A warm, friendly cottage built of wood and stone in 1860 and furnished with many antiques from the period. A truly wonderful space made cozy in the winter by wood stoves in every room. 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 sitting room on the right, and one bedroom on the left. A master bedroom and 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 small ski lift is directly across the road, and only a short walk up to several more lifts and the beginning of the cross country ski trails. 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 Bedrichov is about 3 kilometers long and follows the Rynovicka Nisa river, which begins just above in the mountains. There are small downhill ski runs all along it, and at the top end of Bedrichov is the beginning of the cross-country ski trails. Bedrichov is known as the best cross-country ski centre in the Czech Republic, and one of the top areas in Europe. The Nordic World Championships will be held in Liberec in 2009. 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. Bedrichov is at the west end 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 down the mountain to Liberec, about a 1 1/2 hour walk (9 km.) The mountains are in a mirco-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 short bike rides in Bedrichov 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 warm place to swim. Also in Bedrichov 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 Bedrichov, very nice clay tennis courts, and other nice restaurants, notably Lesni Chata above the tennis courts, and U Dodlana, which is just a short walk from the cottage.

Bedrichov can be reached either from Liberec or Jablonec. Both towns 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 nearest town to Bedrichov is Janov nad Nisou (Janov above the Nisa River). Janov has a toboggan slide in the summer. Also near Janov is a horse farm where you can go riding.

Buses run every hour to Jablonec and the stop is right across the road. In Jablonec there is a large reservoir that is very nice to swim in. From Jablonec you can catch the train to Harrachov, which is a nice trip on a two-car train through small villages and runs every two hours or so.

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 from Liberec. Hourly busses take you to the end of the Metro line. The trip takes about an hour.

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. Also, a Nissan Micra can be rented for about 90 pounds a week.
 

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. . This gives room for up to 4 people. Bed linen and towels are provided for your use.

The cottage has 1 bathrooms and 2 WCs for your party's use.

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

There is room for 4 in the living room and 4 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 dish washer, a washing machine, an iron and ironing board. The owner has also provided cutlery, crockery, glassware, cooking utensils.

Smoking is allowed in this 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 west facing garden, a summer house, a east facing patio area, a barbeque. If you are driving there is private parking.

The cottage is right beside fishing, walking, cycling, mountain biking, skiing/snowboarding.

Close to the cottage you will find swimming, horse riding, golf, tennis, historic sites, a museum, a zoo, a theatre/cinema, shopping areas, a themepark, a restaurant.

Within easy reach of the cottage you will find a beach, water skiing, climbing.

Over 300 miles of groomed xc-ski trails start from Bedrichov. Indoor golf and tennis within 15 min.

Ice hockey, ski jumping, aqua park, castles.

The cottage is....

70 min from Prague airport.
60 min from Dresden.

Any day of the week.

Any day of the week.

2 PM

11 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)."

Click here for more reviews...