Labská bouda is one of the most striking landmarks in the Giant Mountains — a nine-storey brutalist concrete building perched at 1315 m above sea level on the wide open Labská meadow. It is a place where dramatic mountain weather, sweeping views and a fascinating history come together, and just a few hundred metres away lies the source of the Elbe, one of Central Europe's great rivers.
The Labská meadow is an exposed, wind-swept plateau with panoramic views of the surrounding Krkonoše peaks. In winter, the hut serves as a crucial navigation point when blizzards reduce visibility to almost nothing — and the mountain weather here can turn fierce without warning. In summer, the area is carpeted with subalpine vegetation and offers a wonderfully peaceful atmosphere. The building itself, though architecturally controversial, has become an iconic part of the landscape, and its restaurants and café are a very welcome stop after a hike across the ridge.
How to get to the hutNear Labská bouda in 1913, Czech skier Bohumil Hanč perished in a sudden blizzard during a 50 km race — his story, and that of his friend Václav Vrbata who died trying to save him, has become one of the most moving legends of the Giant Mountains.