Thrill-seeker's dream: Record-breaking zipline named best Czech mountain attraction

The beauty of the Czech mountains is well known. But have you ever seen the country’s stunning scenery from above, traveling at high speeds with nothing but the air between you and the ground below? A new zipline at the Klíny sports complex is causing a sensation by offering a unique way to inject some adrenaline into a Czech mountain adventure.

The zipline journey in the Czech Republic’s Most region lasts around eight minutes, covering a distance of just over two kilometers at speeds of up to 75 kilometers per hour. The attraction is proving so popular that it has won the title of the Most Interesting New Attraction in Tourism in the Krušné hory mountain range.

The Krušnohorská Nej competiton promotes novelties and new ideas in local tourism and aims to inspire event organizers and investors, with winners voted for by tourists. It’s safe to say that in the zipline at the Klíny sports complex, it celebrates a literally breathtaking addition to the Czech tourism scene.

Construction of the zipline was completed last autumn, but tourists were not able to use the ride until May 15, the start of the tourist season. Visitors are placed in a full-body harness by an instructor, before sitting in a seat hooked onto the steel wire using a pulley system. Children can even experience the ride together with an adult on the seat, as long as their combined weight does not exceed 130 kilograms.

Two routes are possible, one longer and one shorter. The longer route is the fifth longest zipwire ride in Europe and the 20th longest in the world. The shorter route, covering 800 meters, is still the longer than any other zipwire in the Czech Republic. Riders zoom over the Šumenský valley and surrounding mountains at an altitude of around 150 meters.

“Overall, we are satisfied with the number of visitors to the complex,” said Josef Dlouhý, head of the Klíny sports complex. “We thought that the last summer season would be a record, but this year we exceeded that number by 10-15 percent.”

While proving hugely popular with Czech thrill-seekers, the zipline is also attracting tourists from Germany, who make up the majority of foreign visitors. With local tourism operators having to come up with creative ways of compensating for the lost winter ski season, the zipline indicates new possibilities for Czech mountain fun.

“Fortunately, we started summer operations around ten years ago and we are gradually improving our offer. Those who rely only on the winter season will have trouble surviving,” said Dlouhý.

Second place in the local tourism awards was taken Lake Most, created by flooding a former coal mine, while third place went to the Krušné hory Folk House. With businesses expanding their offer for the post-pandemic era, the new attractions demonstrate the potential for new tourism experiences in the Czech Republic.