Singltrek pod Smrkem

Singltrek pod Smrkem is a purpose-built singletrack network on the wild northern slopes of the Jizera Mountains (Jizerské hory), under the 1,124m summit of Smrk, in the far north of the Czech Republic. Twelve loops, around 85km in all, climb and flow through beech and spruce forest from the small town of Nové Město pod Smrkem, and several of them cross the border into Poland around Czerniawa-Zdrój and the Zajęcznik ridge. The mix is one green, one blue, six red and three black loops plus a tarmac climbing link, all one-way apart from the green link trail, designed with Welsh trail designer Dafydd Davis and graded so that families, improvers and strong riders can each build a full day. Riding is free, the main trailhead has a cafe, bike shop, hire, showers and a bike wash beside a natural swimming pond, and there is enough here for a long weekend.

The Trails

The trails run as one-way loops that link into each other, so most riders string several together into one big ride. The operator grades them on four colours: green for beginners and children, blue for easy flowing singletrack with no hard climbs or descents, red for most of the network (dynamic, rolling trail that suits anyone from a confident child to a downhill rider) and black for narrow, steep hillside trail that needs real bike control but has no sudden obstacles or jumps. The loop names come from old local place names, so you will see Czech, German and Polish words side by side.

Czech side

• Nástupní (green, 1.8km): the start-and-finish link from Singltrek Centrum and the only two-way trail on the network, so expect traffic in both directions, especially on weekend mornings and afternoons. Slow down before the wooden footbridges in the wet.
• Hřebenáč (blue, 9.8km): a pedally, family-friendly loop around Andělská hora and along the Jindřichovice ridge, through mixed forest, over boardwalks past wetland and through fields of gneiss boulders.
• Obora (red, 6.8km): joins Hřebenáč and includes the popular Dafyddova radost (Dafydd's Joy) descent, paid for with a switchback climb. Hřebenáč and Obora together make a proper ride.
• Rapický okruh (red, 3.6km): the hub of the network on Rapická hora, crossing the border, with a switchback climb on the Polish side and a fast descent to the Lomnický bridge on the Czech side. Most riders ride part of it on the way out and the rest on the way home.
• Asfaltový traverz (3.3km): three sections of forest tarmac road, including the Asfaltová agónie, the longest and hardest climb on the network. It is the way up to the big descents, and a shortcut if you want to skip Okolo Měděnce.
• Libverdská strana (red, 7.4km): part of the original 2009 loop, mostly one long, fast, playful descent that many riders rate as the best on the network, then a climb with views over the northern Jizera slopes.
• Ludvíkovský traverz (red, 4.3km): brings you back from near Lázně Libverda to Nové Město, climbing gently before a memorable descent into the deep valley of the Ztracený potok.
• Novoměstská strana (red, 3.0km): a fast descent above Kyselka, then a traverse back towards Singltrek Centrum.
• Okolo Měděnce (black, 7.1km): around the old silver-mining hill above town, with a long, fast and sometimes tight descent, a climb through mature beech forest, and a run through a gorge and along a steep slope above the Ztracený potok.
• Hejnický hřeben (black, 11.8km): a dramatic loop along the rocky Hejnice ridge above Lázně Libverda, fast on the way down and a real leg-stretcher on the way up.

Polish side

• Nad Czerniawą (black, 12.6km): wild, hilly forest riding above the Czerniawa valley and Mała Góra, with plenty of both climbing and descending.
• Zajęcznik (red, 14.8km): reached from the far end of Nad Czerniawą, with a smooth descent of around 6km. Put the two together and you have a full mountain day, so leave energy for the ride home.

The Polish town of Świeradów-Zdrój also has its own Góreczno singletrack (7km, red and black), starting from the car park above its gondola.

Trail sections are closed from time to time for forestry work, safety or repairs, and the closures are binding under Czech forestry law, with police spot checks. Always check the trail conditions page before you ride. Carry a phone: every navigation post has its location on the back for emergency calls to 112. E-bikes are allowed on the trails.

Admission and Prices

Riding at Singltrek pod Smrkem is free. The trails are kept going by voluntary contributions, which pay for maintenance: you can give a suggested 250 CZK by card online, or any amount by bank transfer to the transparent public collection account, on the trail contribution page. Spending money at the trailhead cafes and hire centres also helps fund the trails.

The car park at Singltrek Centrum costs 100 CZK per car. Prices are correct as of September 2026 but subject to change, so check the Singltrek pod Smrkem website before you travel.

Guides, Shuttles and Hire

There is no lift or shuttle at Singltrek pod Smrkem: the network is built to be pedalled, with forest tarmac and switchback climbs taking you up to the descents, and e-bikes are allowed on the trails. All three trailheads hire bikes, so you can turn up without your own. Guided days run from Prague, and there is skills coaching on the Polish side in Świeradów-Zdrój.

• Bikecentrum Libverda: full-suspension Rock Machine hire, a workshop and a bistro at the trailhead in Lázně Libverda, under the black Hejnický hřeben loop. Open daily in the main season, and bikes can be booked in advance.
• Bohemia Adventures: guided day trips to Singltrek pod Smrkem from Prague, with hotel pick-up and transport, a mountain bike, helmet and lunch included, and the ride tailored to the group's ability.
• Centrum U Kyselky: a Trek test centre at the second trailhead in Nové Město pod Smrkem, with a fleet of current full-suspension bikes, e-bikes and, from 2026, gravel and e-gravel bikes, from 890 CZK a day including damage insurance. Open daily from May to September, and at weekends and on public holidays in April and October. Book online, and bring cash, since cards aren't accepted.
• Lech Sport: bike and e-bike hire, individual and group skills courses and a workshop in Świeradów-Zdrój, on the Polish side of the mountains, handy for the Polish loops.
• Singltrek Centrum bike hire: the operator's own hire at the main trailhead in Nové Město pod Smrkem, with Orange hardtails from 890 CZK a day, full-suspension bikes from 1,090 CZK, e-bikes at 1,490 CZK and children's bikes at 590 CZK. Bikes go back by 18:00 the same day, and it's worth booking online in summer.

Prices are correct as of September 2026 but subject to change, so check current rates with the operator.

Getting There from the UK

Three airports put Nové Město pod Smrkem within easy reach. Prague is around two hours' drive via Liberec and Frýdlant, Dresden in Germany is around two hours via Görlitz or Zittau, and Wrocław in Poland is around two and a half hours via Świeradów-Zdrój. A hire car makes the most sense, since the town sits in a quiet corner of the country.

Without a car, take a bus or train from Prague to Liberec (around an hour and a quarter by express bus, longer by train), then the regional train through Frýdlant to Nové Město pod Smrkem. Regional trains carry bikes while there is space, but plan on a long travel day and check the timetable before you go.

Driving from Calais or the Channel Tunnel is around 1,150km, roughly 11 to 12 hours through Belgium and Germany via Dresden, so most UK riders split it over two days. Check whether your route uses Czech motorways, which need a vignette.

Getting Here

The main trailhead is Singltrek Centrum, beside the natural swimming pond in Nové Město pod Smrkem (Plovárenská 1056). The operator suggests entering "Jindřichovická, Nové Město pod Smrkem" in your sat nav. It has a paid car park, free toilets, token showers, a bike wash, a bike shop and workshop for minor repairs, a cafe with a terrace looking up to Smrk, a children's playground and a small pump track.

There are two other trailheads. Centrum U Kyselky in Nové Město, at the foot of the original red loop, has a paid car park with around 60 spaces, food and drink, a bike wash, a workshop, a small bike shop, toilets and showers. Bikecentrum Libverda, in the spa village of Lázně Libverda under the black Hejnický hřeben loop, has a workshop and a bistro. On the Polish side, there is parking at Czerniawa-Zdrój for the Polish loops. For bigger repairs, the nearest full bike shops are in Frýdlant, Liberec and Jelenia Góra, so bring a spare derailleur hanger.

When to Go

The trails are legally open all year, but the riding season runs from spring to late autumn. Singltrek Centrum closes over winter and usually reopens in the first half of April, with the full season starting after Easter. In the spring thaw the trails are waterlogged, so wait until the operator says they are ready, and expect forestry work near the trails from March until the season starts. In winter, a covering of snow makes the trails impossible to follow.

Late May, June and September are good bets for dry trail and fewer people. July and August are the busiest months, and weekends busier than weekdays. The trails sit on the mountains' northern side, so the weather often differs from the wider Czech forecast. It can change quickly, so pack a waterproof layer and avoid the ridges in storms and high winds.

If you are making a longer Czech trip, Rychlebské stezky, in the Rychleby Mountains further east, is the country's other big purpose-built singletrack network.

Where to Stay

Nové Město pod Smrkem is the obvious base, with the main trailhead in town and most loops starting and finishing there. Singltrek Centrum runs a simple campsite on the beach of the swimming pond for tents and sleeping in your car, with no booking needed, and the rest of the site, including campervan pitches and cabins, is run separately by the town's sports centre. The town and the nearby villages of Jindřichovice pod Smrkem and Ludvíkov pod Smrkem also have guesthouses, bungalows and a bike hotel.

Lázně Libverda, a small spa village with its own trailhead under the black Hejnický hřeben loop, is a quieter alternative. Across the border, the Polish spa town of Świeradów-Zdrój has a much wider choice of hotels and apartments and is close to the Polish loops.

Local Organisations

• The trails are maintained by the non-profit Singltrek pod Smrkem o.p.s., funded by the trailheads and by riders' contributions through the trail contribution page.
• The Czech trails are on land managed by the Czech state forests, Lesy ČR, and the Polish loops on land managed by the Polish State Forests' Świeradów forest district.

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