Ski Chaty Harrachov

The small pist nearby makes this a good place for kids. The big pist takes a car or bus to reach, and it can get very busy.

A great B&B, spacious and well equipped. There’s a living room, kitchen, and shower on the ground floor, plus two floors of bedrooms above, with room for up to 10 people. A few things to know when arriving: Ski Shetty is the name for a group of cabins in the Nature Park complex, and there’s no specific sign for it. Google Maps takes you to an entrance gate where you get a parking ticket; leaving is free. Then at the second gate, press the button on the post to the left. At the cabin entrance, you’ll find a safe with the room keys inside. The landlady gives you the code.

The scenery around Harrachov is lovely, and there’s plenty to do: hiking, the cable car, a summer toboggan run, an outdoor pool and mini-golf. The locals are keen to chat, though the town itself feels run-down, as if little has been invested since the 80s. There are nicer places in the Czech Republic, and for me, Harrachov is done. Our holiday home was fairly clean, but we were left without any welcome or useful information. We were due at 4:00 PM and got there at 4:45 PM, but nobody was at reception. When we called, they hung up. A text got the reply, “She sent us an email; everything is in there.” There were 10 of us, but only 8 cups, 8 spoons and 6 terrace chairs. We had to buy dishwasher tablets, garbage bags and dish soap, and nobody told us where to take the garbage. The grill was so grimy we had to disinfect it first. The whole setup felt half-hearted, like nobody had much interest in doing the job. I won’t be back.

The architecture is awful, especially since the place is tucked away in the forest outside the city center.