Against the Current of the Rolava River

From Karlovy Vary to the Heart of the Ore Mountains

The picturesque and fierce Rolava River originates in an area aptly called the heart of the Ore Mountains. It is fed by the Ore Mountains' peat bogs and marshes near the German border. From there, it rushes down the hills, wild and roaring. It carves into the landscape, creating picturesque valleys, and after nearly thirty-six kilometers, it becomes a left tributary of its bigger and more famous sister, the Ohře River, in the spa city of Karlovy Vary. 

It is precisely its distance (exactly 34.7 km) that allows its course to be covered in a single day. It's a beautiful trip that we can warmly recommend. The Rolava can be tackled on foot or by bike, and more skilled athletes can even run the entire route. In winter, some sections may require cross-country skis, making for a unique sporting combination. Enough talk, let's get going. 

We are standing in Karlovy Vary, under the highway with hundreds of cars flowing, watching as the Rolava merges into the Ohře. The water, which recently roared nearly a thousand meters above sea level (the river originates at 918 meters), will continue as part of the Ohře, into the Elbe, and then into the North Sea. A quick warm-up, and we are off. 

We pass through the Karlovy Vary district of Rybáře, bypass a recreational area named after the river we are following, walk past the train station in the Stará Role district, and we are almost out of the city. The panel buildings disappear, and the path leads through pleasant garden colonies. Here, the Rolava meanders, with occasional rapids, but nothing compared to what awaits us in the mountains. We pass the Kozodoj farm, where we take a brief break. Kozodoj is an eco-center that hosts camps, clubs, has a protected bistro, and a beautiful quiz trail. But there's no time for quizzes; we must press on. Here, the river more or less follows the railway line, winding and twisting, until suddenly the first houses appear before us. We are in Nová Role. Worth mentioning is the beautiful church dedicated to Saint Michael, almost in sight of the river. It is a great fortune that the Rolava has not washed it away in one of the significant floods that history remembers. 

We walk through Nová Role, passing the train station and the Thun porcelain factory area (we recommend visiting the porcelain museum sometime) and again delve into nature outside the town. Here, the scenery changes, the river speeds up and bites into a steep valley. We have covered the first ten kilometers. We continue along the old Nejdek road, with the Rolava in sight. Sometimes we are level with the river, and at other times we look at it rushing tens of meters below us; we are almost in the mountains. We pass Smolné Pece and soon reach Suchá. The factory chimneys of Nejdek are now in sight, but we first notice some of the houses here in Suchá. Old, solid buildings, some beautifully restored. Suchá seamlessly merges into Nejdek. If we were to think about where to invite you in this town, we wouldn't know where to start. Nejdek has its charm and attractions. 

We walk through the local square, pass the tower of the Nejdek Castle, and we are already at the once-famous ironworks. Continuing along the Závodu Míru Street (a stage of the race led through here), we race against the river. The temperature drops here; we are really in the mountains now, this is a real mountain river. Incidentally, the elevation difference from the source to the mouth of the Rolava is 548 vertical meters. That's quite a lot over thirty-six kilometers. We pass the turn to Vysoká Pec and approach the last town on the route. We are in Nové Hamry.  

We have covered twenty-two kilometers, and a quick refreshment stop at one of the local spots would be well-deserved. After Nové Hamry, we continue through the forest, surrounded by the beautiful local nature. We pass the Chaloupecké parking lot, a popular starting point for many hikes. With a pleasant ascent, we head towards the Chaloupecké valley. The local scenery? Words can't do it justice. It's like someone has poured living water into your body. Through the former Chaloupky, we head to the abandoned village, whose Czech name is the same as our river, Rolava. Here, time has stopped. In the best sense of the word. From here, it's just a short distance to the Lučiny tourist shelter. The source of the Rolava is less than half a kilometer from here. So Rolava, thanks for the wonderful experience you've given us. And see you again sometime. 

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