14.11.2025

The longest chairlift in the Czech Republic is being renovated

The chairlift from Krupka (Graupen) to the summit of Komáří hůrka (Mückenberg) on the ridge of the Eastern Ore Mountains will be renovated over the next 12 months. The aim of the renovation is to modernize the mountain and valley stations as well as the outdoor facilities while preserving or even restoring the historical character. "We want the chairlift to return to its origins. For example, there used to be lamps at the valley station on the terrace, which we want to reinstall," lift manager Marek Ferenc told the daily newspaper "Mladá fronta Dnes". The lift went into operation in 1952.

Important for all fans of the chairlift: the refurbishment will be carried out while the lift is in operation. Apart from regular maintenance, which is carried out several times a year, the lift can be used with restrictions. These are mainly to be expected at the access points to the lift, not on the lift itself. The downtimes of the lift caused by the renovation should be kept to a minimum. This should be the case in March/April next year, when the floors will be renovated and the lift will inevitably have to be shut down.

There are plans to renovate the façade of the valley station and replace the windows and doors. The snack bar will be refurbished and the toilets renovated. In addition, the exhibition on the history and operation of the chairlift will be expanded. This is open to the public.

Repairs and partial thermal insulation are carried out at the mountain station. The drinking water and waste water supply is renewed and the heat supply is converted to a heat pump. A new workshop is being built for the maintenance of the lift seats.

With a length of 2,348 meters, the chairlift is not only the longest lift in the Czech Republic without an intermediate station, according to the operators, but also in the whole of Central Europe. The lift has been a national cultural monument in the Czech Republic since 2013 and has had the status of a historic chairlift since 2022. Following the modernization of the chairlift to the Schneekoppe, it is now also the oldest of its kind, which still functions as it did when it started operating in 1952.

First lynx offspring in the Ore Mountains

For the first time in almost 300 years, a lynx pair has reproduced in the Ore Mountains. According to the Saxon State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology (LfULG), the lynxes Alva (female) and Chapo (male) released last year are the parent animals. Both were released into the wild near Eibenstock in 2024 as part of the ReLynx project to reintroduce these wild cats. According to GPS data, they spent three days together in Alva's territory at the beginning of April. They have now turned into two cubs, which were "caught" by a photo trap at the beginning of the fall. The pregnancy of a female lynx usually lasts 10 weeks. This means that the cubs must have been born in June.

The wolves have also reported offspring again. In the Schluckenauer Zipfel in northern Bohemia alone, wolf experts counted at least 14 cubs on the basis of photo traps. But there may already be more. The wolves have also reintroduced themselves, but probably through immigration from Poland. According to monitoring, their development is going very well. There are now five packs in the Schluckenauer Zipfels region alone. The wolf territory also extends into neighboring Saxony.

Due to the vastness of the Ore Mountains, it is not possible to provide such precise information. A total of seven wolf packs have been confirmed there. Three of them are certain to have offspring this year.

Government helps problem district in Šluknov

The Czech government has approved an aid package worth almost 200 million for the small town of Šluknov in northern Bohemia. The town wants to use the money to buy 14 prefabricated buildings in a housing estate on the south-eastern outskirts of the town. The deal will cost a total of 285 million crowns (11.7 million euros). Šluknov is paying 25 million crowns out of its own pocket, while the Ústí district is contributing a further 60 million crowns.

After taking over the houses, the city intends to demolish a small part in very poor condition and renovate the others. The background to this major project, which is unique in the Czech Republic to date, is the unusually high rate of residents dependent on social welfare. According to the state agency for social integration, almost all of the 1,500 residents are affected. The aim of the joint project is to reduce this rate to 20 percent. The renovation of the houses is to be accompanied by intensive social work, support in finding work, educational projects and debt relief advice. The municipality is also to receive support from the state in this area. The majority of the current residents will be able to continue living in the prefabricated housing estate, while apartments in the region will be found for a small proportion. A further influx of socially disadvantaged people is to be stopped.

The funding commitment was made on Wednesday by the current government, led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala, after a year of intensive preparations and negotiations with the state, district and municipality. The opposition parties were also involved, which is why the mayor of Šluknov, Tomáš Kolonečný, assumes that the future government will also continue to support the project.

Stores remain open for the holiday

Monday marks the Day of Struggle for Freedom and Democracy in the Czech Republic. On November 17, 36 years ago, thousands of students and citizens demonstrated for freedom and democracy in Prague. The officially unauthorized assembly was brutally dispersed by armed units. It was seen as the beginning of the Velvet Revolution in what was then Czechoslovakia.

Although the larger stores in the Czech Republic remain closed on many public holidays, November 17 is not one of them. All stores therefore remain open. Only museums are closed on Mondays, as usual.

(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)