The story of a mountain hut on the edge of the Krkonoše Mountains.

High up in the Krkonoše Mountains, almost directly on the Czech-Polish border, stands Špindlerova bouda. A place through which routes between the Czech and Silesian sides of the mountains have passed for centuries is now known primarily to tourists and winter sports enthusiasts. Its history, however, is far more varied. It has weathered fires, witnessed the heyday of mountain tourism, hosted famous toboggan runs, and endured a period when its fame slowly faded.

Yet Špindlerova bouda did not originally bear its present-day name at all. It was known as Richtrova or Rychtářova bouda and, together with the surrounding clearings of Daftova, Moravská and Davidova Bouda, formed a separate part of Špindlerův Mlýn called Sedmidolí.

The enclave even had its own school.

The first chalet here was built in 1824 by the village reeve Franz Spindler from Bedřichov. However, it did not stand for long. Just two years later, it was destroyed by fire. Yet, in the very same year, a new building was erected on the original stone foundations.

Johann Hollmann, Franz Spindler’s son-in-law, who owned it from 1855 to 1894, began to write an important chapter in the lodge’s history. It was during his tenure that the humble mountain hut gradually became one of the most sought-after mountain hotels in the area.

Hollmann managed to make full use of the exceptional location right on the border. In addition to accommodation and refreshments, he also ran a shop selling wine and butter.

However, the hut’s history was not always idyllic.

On 13 November 1885, Špindlerova bouda was once again engulfed by fire. This time, the consequences were tragic. In addition to five goats and five cows, the owner’s eight-year-old niece also perished in the flames.

Nevertheless, life at the lodge did not come to a standstill. A new building was erected and operations were successfully resumed as early as the autumn of the following year.

Following Hollmann’s death in 1894, the chalet passed to his widow, Františka Hollmannová, and subsequently to their daughter. Its operations were managed by her brother, Hermann.

A major boost to the further development of Špindlerova bouda came with the opening of the toboggan run to Hain. In the 1890s, thanks to this, the chalet became a popular destination during the winter as well.

At the height of the popularity of sleigh rides, hundreds of descents took place during a single winter season.

Špindlerovka gradually transformed into a modern mountain hotel. Františka Hollmannová had it rebuilt, and following her death in 1911, the property passed to her husband, Rudolf Lhota. He ran it until his death in 1925.

The next owner was his second wife, Anna Richterová, who owned the lodge until 1945.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the importance of Špindlerova bouda increased significantly. Between 1914 and 1921, the border region was opened up to transport thanks to the construction of a wide road from Špindlerův Mlýn to Špindlerova bouda.

This was followed by a regular bus service and, later, an ever-increasing number of cars.

Tourism grew rapidly. Eight garages were built right next to the chalet, and transport was not free. A toll was collected at Dívčí lávky – two crowns for a motorbike, ten crowns for a car and twenty crowns for a bus.

Špindlerovka thus gradually became not only a mountain retreat but also a major tourist destination.

In 1942, Špindlerova bouda offered an impressive 70 rooms with 110 beds. The rooms were equipped with central heating, and guests had access to both hot and cold water.

After the Second World War, however, its fortunes changed. The lodge became one of the ROH’s convalescent homes, and its standard gradually declined. The building began to fall into disrepair.

As late as 1951, however, Špindlerova bouda appeared on a three-crown postage stamp, issued in a print run of 2.5 million copies. It was dominated by the slogan ‘The mountains belong to the working people’.

Those who remember that time recall that, in later decades, the once-famous chalet bore little resemblance to its former self as a luxury hotel.

In December 1984, for example, guests on the top floor were battling the cold and snow, which seeped through gaps several centimetres wide in the walls and windows.

Špindlerova bouda was in dire need of major repairs. However, these never materialised.

The building fell into a very poor state of repair and the original structure was eventually condemned for demolition. A demolition order was issued in 1978.

A completely new holiday resort was later built on the site, which formed the basis of today’s hotel complex.

The Secret of Sedmidolí: The Story of the Seven Springs

There is a beautiful legend associated with the name ‘Sedmidolí’, which this part of the Krkonoše Mountains once bore.

It is said that long ago there lived a king’s daughter whose beauty was unrivalled throughout the wider region. She had many suitors, but one of them refused to accept her rejection. The princess therefore fled to the mountains and hid by a spring deep in the woods. She was protected by a good fairy.

However, the suitor discovered where the princess was hiding and set out to find her. His journey took him through gorges, across slopes and through heathland. As he approached the girl’s hiding place, the fairy decided to protect the princess.

Suddenly, springs began to appear all around. One after another, they gushed from the ground, confusing the young man as he tried to find the princess amongst them.

He reached the twelfth spring, but still had not found the princess. Exhausted, he sat down and began to wonder whether he should continue his search. Just then, he remembered an old superstition that the number thirteen brings bad luck.

And so he turned around and left.

If he had persevered for just a little longer, according to legend, he would have found the princess at the thirteenth spring.

However, the fairy saved her protégée. And so that the place might forever commemorate her victory, she is said to have caused the seven strongest springs to gush forth.

And it is from these, according to legend, that Sedmidolí – a region in the heart of the Krkonoše Mountains, whose history is as colourful as the mountains themselves – is said to have taken its name.

Source: History of the Krkonoše Mountain Huts