A place of smugglers, soldiers and stories that have not been lost in the mountains.

In the saddle between Luční hora and Zadní planina stands one of the most famous huts in the Krkonoše Mountains – Výrovka.

Today it is a popular spot for hikers traversing the ridges of the Krkonoše Mountains, but its history is far more dramatic. The place where people now stop for refreshments was once a key point on the routes taken by smugglers, customs officers and soldiers.

Výrovka lies in an area where, in the past, the old Silesian Trail crossed the route from Svatý Petr via Dlouhý důl and Richtrovy boudy towards Pec pod Sněžkou. Its strategic location has made it a natural spot for resting and surveying the surroundings since ancient times.

As early as the 18th century, a simple shelter stood here, bearing the German name Tannenbaude, meaning ‘Fir Hut’. Customs officers – who patrolled the mountain trails and searched for smugglers – also used to stay here.

One of the theories regarding the origin of the old German name ‘Geiergucke’, meaning ‘Vulture’s Lookout’, may well be linked to them. The customs officers were nicknamed ‘Geier’ – vultures – and the name of the place may well have derived from this term.

However, there is also a far more dramatic legend.

According to this, the smuggler’s leader Georg Wenzel, nicknamed Geirwanz, was hiding not far from Luční bouda. One evening, he was waiting for his accomplices in a dilapidated hut. However, a young customs officer unexpectedly entered the hideout. The smuggler hid in the loft.

Shortly afterwards, a young girl entered the hut. Geirwanz recognised her as his own daughter. From her conversation with the customs officer, he realised that the man had uncovered his plans. The enraged smuggler leapt down from the loft and stabbed his daughter, who was trying to protect the customs officer, with a dagger.

The tax collector managed to escape and later returned to the scene with reinforcements. A horrific sight awaited him – the smuggler was hanging above the body of his murdered daughter.

It was after him that his accomplices were said to have named the hut ‘Geiergucke’.

And there is a third explanation. In the local German dialect, the word ‘Geier’ also referred to our largest owl – the eagle owl. And it is from this that the Czech name ‘Výrovka’ may have originated.

The owner of the original Výrovka, however, was not particularly keen on its association with smugglers. In the first half of the 19th century, he therefore had the hut demolished. However, this strategically important site did not remain without a shelter for long.

Its subsequent use was first taken care of by the Bönsch brothers from Luční bouda, who sought to lease the land. They wanted to build a simple shelter for horse-drawn carriages here, where people could take refuge from inclement weather.

In the end, however, the site was given a far more significant role.

In 1926, the Czechoslovak Ministry of National Defence decided to build a military log cabin there, intended for the training of ski units. It was connected to the dilapidated Výrovka shelter by a covered passageway, and the neighbouring Havlova bouda, with 36 rooms, was also built.

General František Havel, commander of the provincial engineering corps, played a significant role in its construction, and the lodge was named after him.

Upon completion, the lodge was handed over to the ski club of the Union of Czechoslovak Officers. In 1938, it even briefly served as a gendarmerie station.

During the Second World War, both Výrovka and Havlova bouda came under German military administration. After the war, they were taken over by the Czechoslovak Army, and Výrovka was leased by Jan Duben, who had already been active there during the First Republic.

The mountain setting, however, was not used solely by tourists. The army organised skiing courses here and trained future instructors.

However, the fate of the original Výrovka was sealed.

On 17 October 1946, a devastating fire broke out at Výrovka. The fire started in a wooden storeroom where, amongst other things, a tractor was parked and a large quantity of diesel, petrol, oil, tar and other flammable materials were stored.

The fire broke out in the evening and the wooden Výrovka was unable to withstand it. Firefighters from Pec pod Sněžkou and Špindlerův Mlýn arrived at the scene and had to battle the flames using buckets.

Výrovka was reduced to ashes. Fortunately, Havel’s hut was saved.

However, even that did not last long. On 6 February 1947, it was probably set alight deliberately. It burnt down and was never rebuilt.

A simple snack bar with accommodation for 30 people was subsequently built on the site of the original hut. For many years, it was run by the well-known Jura Pachman.

The current Výrovka was built later. Between 1988 and 1990, the Polish construction firm Budimex from Poznań built a new building here based on a design by the Trutnov architect Vokatý. The construction caused considerable controversy at the time.

Today, Výrovka belongs to the Czech Tourist Club and offers around 35 beds.

And although its appearance has changed several times over the centuries, its significance remains. It still stands at the junction of important mountain routes – once used by smugglers and soldiers, today mainly by tourists heading across the Krkonoše ridges.

Výrovka is therefore not just another mountain hut. It is a place where, over the centuries, smugglers, customs officers, soldiers, skiers and tourists have all passed through. And some of the stories that have unfolded here would make for a truly gripping mountain novel.

Source: History of the Krkonoše Mountain Huts