The village of Velká Úpa is an administrative part of Pec pod Sněžkou.
Geography
Pec 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
Pec pod Sněžkou around 1900
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]
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
Ski resort in Pec pod Sněžkou
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
The 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]
