Things to do
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Čertova stěna
Granite boulders tumble down a wooded slope to the Vltava below the Lipno dam, where the river runs fast through a rocky gorge. A marked trail threads between the blocks from the village of Loučovice. The river below is a white-water run for experienced paddlers on days when water is released. The rocks turn slippery after rain, so trail shoes are a good idea.
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Lipno Reservoir
Stretching west from the dam towards the Austrian and German borders, the biggest lake in the country has marinas, beaches and a cycle path along much of its shore. Car ferries cross the water between Frymburk and Frýdava in summer. In hard winters the surface freezes and a long skating trail is groomed on the ice.
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Lipno Ski Area
Gentle runs on the north face of Kramolín make up a ski area aimed at families and beginners, with chairlifts, ski schools and snowmaking across most slopes. The season usually runs from December into March. Out of winter, the main chairlift carries walkers and bikes up the hill to the treetop walkway.
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Lipno Treetop Walkway
On the slope of Kramolín above the resort, a wooden walkway of almost seven hundred metres climbs through the beech and spruce canopy to a lookout tower. The whole route is step-free and suits pushchairs, and a long slide runs down from the top. It opens daily all year but closes in storms, ice and high wind.
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Rožmberk Castle
A tall round tower called Jakobínka marks this castle on a rock above a bend of the Vltava, about twenty minutes' drive east of Lipno. Guided tours cover furnished rooms and a hall of portraits, and the tower can be climbed separately. It opens from April to October only, at weekends in the shoulder months.
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Vyšší Brod Monastery
Cistercian monks still live in this walled abbey above the Vltava, which keeps a Gothic church, a cloister and a library of carved rococo bookcases. Interiors are seen only on guided tours, Monday to Saturday from May to September and by reservation for the rest of the year. Shoulders and knees must be covered on every tour inside.
