Pec pod Sněžkou (Czech pronunciation: [ˈpɛts ˈpotsɲɛʃkou]; German: Petzer, Polish: Pec pod Śnieżką) is a town in Trutnov District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 700 inhabitants. The town lies in the Giant Mountains at the base of the highest Czech mountain, Sněžka. From the town a two-section cable car system leads to the top of Sněžka. The ski resort at Pec pod Sněžkou is one of the best-known mountain resorts in the country.
Pec pod Sněžkou | |
|---|---|
 Bus station | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Pec pod Sněžkou Location in the Czech Republic | |
| Coordinates: 50°41′37″N 15°44′0″E / 50.69361°N 15.73333°E | |
| Country |  Czech Republic |
| Region | Hradec Králové |
| District | Trutnov |
| First mentioned | 1511 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ilona Karlíková |
| Area | |
• Total | 52.10 km2 (20.12 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 769 m (2,523 ft) |
| Population (2024-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 731 |
| • Density | 14/km2 (36/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 542 21 |
| Website | www |
Administrative parts
editThe village of Velká Úpa is an administrative part of Pec pod Sněžkou.
Geography
editPec pod Sněžkou is located about 18 km (11 mi) northwest of Trutnov and 54 km (34 mi) north of Hradec Králové. It lies in the Giant Mountains and, with the exception of the built-up area, in the Krkonoše National Park. The highest point is Sněžka, at 1,603 m (5,259 ft) above sea level the highest mountain of the whole country.
The Úpa River originates here and flows across the municipality; the Zelený Stream flows into it in the centre of Pec pod Sněžkou. The built-up area is located in the valley of these two watercourses.
On the southern slope of Mt. Studniční hora in the northern part of the municipal territory there is a snow field called Map of the Republic. The shape of the field resembles the shape of the territory of the First Czechoslovak Republic. Terrain modeling and wind currents make this the last place in the country where snow melts. The snow here often lasted until August or September, but in the 21st century, due to climate changes, the snow most often lasts until the beginning of July.[2]
History
edit
The oldest documented settlement in the area is the mining village Obří důl (meaning "Giant Mine"), where the first recorded mining occurred in 1511. Mainly copper ore and arsenopyrite were mined until 1959, when the mines were closed after nearly 450 years.[3]
The village Pec pod Sněžkou was founded in the 16th century, when it was one of three parts of Velká Úpa. This was the result of extensive logging and felling of forests in the area. The area was colonized by lumberjacks from Styria, Carinthia and Tyrol, who built huts, founded meadows in forest clearings, and bred cattle and goats.[3]
Demographics
edit
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: Censuses[4][5] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Transport
edit
There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality. Pec pod Sněžkou has direct bus connection with Prague.
An old chairlift from 1949 to the top of Sněžka was replaced by a new cable car system in February 2014. The system consists of two sections and can carry up to 250 visitors per hour in four-person cabins.[6]
Sport
edit
The ski resort is one of the best-known and most frequented mountain resorts in the Czech Republic. Pec pod Sněžkou provides a modern chairlift, 10 surface ski lifts with a transport capacity of 9,620 persons per hour, a jagged freestyle park, the longest and best-lit slope for evening skiing, a 900-metre-long bobsleigh track, a snow tubing ice channel, and a number of cross-country skiing routes. It is now included in SkiResort Černá hora – Pec, which forms the largest Czech ski resort.[7]
Sights
editThe Na Peci Tavern is a cultural monument. The house was built in 1793 and is an example of vernacular architecture.[8]
The Chapel of the Virgin Mary was built in 1888 and renovated in 1933.[9]
Notable people
edit- Rudolf Franz Lehnert (1878–1948), Austrian photographer
- Gustl Berauer (1912–1986), German nordic combined skier
- Miloslav Sochor (born 1952), alpine skier
Twin towns – sister cities
editPec pod Sněžkou is twinned with:[10]
Karpacz, Poland
See also
edit- Špindlerův Mlýn, the largest mountain resort in the Czech Republic
References
edit- ^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
- ^ "Krkonošská Mapa republiky má rozlohu poloviny fotbalového hřiště. "Morava" odtála" (in Czech). Novinky.cz. 2023-06-22. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
- ^ a b "History". Město Pec pod Sněžkou. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
- ^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
- ^ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
- ^ "History". Sněžka Cableway. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
- ^ "Skiing in Pec pod Sněžkou". Archived from the original on 2012-11-17. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
- ^ "Hospoda Na Peci" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
- ^ "Kaple Panny Marie" (in Czech). Město Pec pod Sněžkou. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
- ^ "Miasta Partnerskie" (in Polish). Karpacz. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
External links
edit