You will not find a more beautiful place in winter than here. Conscious of the fact that any native son or daughter would argue the same about their district, you will just have to take my word. No fairy story is without a deep forest, and it plays a huge role here in the winter - together with the wind, which is the only thing to be heard in the frozen branches, and the frozen waters of Lipno, across which you can walk from bank to bank – an experience which takes a lot of getting used to. You will struggle to get far from the home in winter without a pair of skis. Ski and animal tracks are the only things you are likely to encounter in the winter forest. And on the other side of the mountain in Austria, no-one would dream of leaving their home without a pair of skis. Those mischievous Austrians have even cleared the trees from several slopes and swoop down and down the slopes at amazing speed."
Vilém Jelínek, forest warden at Bližší Lhota
Hochficht offers you excellent skiing comparable to several Alpine resorts, but without the long journey and motorway toll charge. A total of 20.8 km of attractive runs, from the easy to the expert, all completely covered if needed using snowmaking equipment.
Under the right conditions the lake is transformed into an unbelievable 38 km skating track, connecting the skating circuits at Horní Planá and Lipno nad Vltavou. Putting on a pair of skates is the best way to take advantage of the freezing conditions, but cross country skis and mountain bikes are also possibilities.
Just over the border crossing Zadní Zvonková – Schöneben is one of the finest quality cross country ski areas in the Šumava, with highly reliable snow cover from December through to March, and almost daily grooming of the cross-country trails.
Cross the snow-covered plains the traditional way, though of course using modern equipment. The huge advantage of using snowshoes over classic cross-country skis is that you are no longer dependent on groomed trails. No more do you need to stick to the marked trails.
