HISTORY: LABSKÁ BOUDA

Few places in the Krkonoše Mountains carry as many stories, emotions, and mountain history as Labská bouda.

It stands high above the Elbe Valley, in a rough and at the same time fascinating landscape near the source of the Elbe. Today it is an unmistakable dominant feature of the mountains, but its history goes much further back than the current concrete structure, which still divides visitors' opinions.

The first mentions of the Elbe Hut date approximately from the year 1830. At that time, however, it was neither a hotel nor a mountain lodge, but a simple stone and wicker hut standing near the Elbe waterfall. A woman from Rokytnice nad Jizerou, known by the nickname "Blasse," took care of the modest shelter for pilgrims. Her real name has unfortunately not survived, yet she can be considered one of the pioneers of mountain tourism in the Krkonoše Mountains.

She offered tourists basic refreshments – bread with butter, cheese, goat's milk, coffee, or a little wine. Payment was according to the visitors' means and goodwill. At a time when the Krkonoše were still wild mountains without tourist infrastructure, this simple hut literally meant rescue from discomfort and mountain weather.

Already in the mid-19th century, Labská Bouda was becoming a well-known stop for mountain pilgrims. The German writer Karl Herlossohn described it in his notes as a stone building resembling a lime kiln. Inside, he found a crackling fire, simple benches, a coffee pot, and the atmosphere of mountain solitude that visitors fell in love with.

The hut was later moved to a location where it stood for more than another hundred years. Gradually, it expanded and also began offering overnight accommodations. Significant development came when it was bought by Josef Schier from Horní Rokytnice. He not only increased the accommodation capacity but also created a unique attraction for the time.

Josef Schier built simple sluices above the Labský and Pančava waterfalls. During dry periods, they retained water, which was ceremoniously released several times a day for tourists. The waterfalls thus gained a much more powerful flow and offered visitors an unforgettable spectacle along with the roar of mountain water.

On one of the rocks near the Pančava Waterfall, it is still possible to find a historic inscription commemorating the opening of the sluices in 1859.

The major transformation came in 1878, when Count Harrach leased the hut to the well-known mountain entrepreneur Lambert Erlebach from Krausovy Boudy. Erlebach managed to turn a simple mountain hut into a sought-after mountain hotel. The hut was gradually rebuilt and modernized.

On the ground floor, a restaurant and a taproom were created, and upstairs were the guest rooms.

Further extensions in 1889 and 1905 increased the capacity to more than a hundred visitors.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Labská Bouda was one of the most important tourist centers of the Krkonoše Mountains. It offered comfortable accommodation, quality services, and became a popular destination for mountain lovers from both the Czech lands and Germany.

Labská Bouda is also forever associated with one of the saddest chapters in Czech sports history. On March 24, 1913, an international ski race took place around the hut, during which the weather suddenly worsened.

The temperature dropped within a short time from a few degrees above zero to well below freezing, and the mountains were engulfed by a blizzard. The racer Bohumil Hanč continued the race despite the extreme conditions. Near Harrach's Stones, he met his friend Václav Vrbata, who supposedly lent him his coat and hat.

Vrbata died on the spot from exhaustion and cold. Hanč managed to be transported to the Labská Bouda, where doctors present tried to save him. However, their help was not enough.

Today, the tragedy is commemorated by the Hanč and Vrbata mound on Zlaté návrší and Hanč's monument near the Pančava Waterfall.

The original Labská Bouda served until November 6, 1965, when it was destroyed by a large fire. Official investigations attributed the cause to careless handling of open flames during repairs of the building. However, a replica of the original mountain hut was not built in its place.

In 1969, construction of a new modernist concrete building began. The construction took six years and it was officially opened in November 1975.

The current form of Labská Bouda still evokes strong emotions. For some, it represents an insensitive intervention in the mountain landscape; for others, an iconic example of the architecture of its time. However visitors perceive it, one thing is certain – Labská Bouda remains one of the most famous and significant places in the Krkonoše Mountains.

Source: History of Krkonoše Mountain Huts