Saint Anthony Cottage
Luxurious mountain cottage in the Jizera Mountains and the Giant Mountains borderlands
The cottage is located in the borderlands between the Jizera Mountains and the Giant Mountains near Vysoké nad Jizerou (700 meters above sea level), the highest town in the Czech Republic. Let yourself be enchanted by gorgeous views that can be admired all day. Our favourite is the Giant Mountains scenery.
The cottage was built with respect to traditional building procedures and nature, using the best environmentally friendly techniques and materials. The emphasis is placed on modern trends and our guests’ overall well-being. We made an effort to use local materials whenever possible, and the cottage was built and fitted up with the aid of local craftsmen. The solid wooden furniture ornated with artistic fittings by local joiner Mr Metelka is just one of the proofs.
The cottage is guarded by the statue of Saint Anthony with a baby Jesus cradled in Anthony’s arms placed on the gable and illuminated at night. This patron saint belongs to outstanding personalities of the Catholic Church’s history. Saint Anthony is a universally recognised patron saint who keeps an eye on lovers, married couples, women and children. Historically, Tuesdays were primarily dedicated to the tribute to Saint Anthony. In almost all churches nearby, you may notice a tiny coin bank reading for Saint Anthony’s bread.
Among many miracles attributed to St. Anthony, one story tells of a mother whose son fell into a barrel of water and drowned. She implored the saint’s intercession and promised that if her son were restored to life, she would give the boy’s weight in grain to the poor. Her prayers were heard, her son brought back to life, and she fulfilled her promise with a generous gift.
So began the devotion known as “St. Anthony’s Bread.” Today, the term refers to offerings made in thanksgiving to God for blessings received through the prayers of St. Anthony.
GROUND FLOOR
The ground floor houses a spacious living room, modern kitchen and quality wood-burning stove heating up the whole cottage. Make yourself comfortable and enjoy the pleasant radiant heat and crackling wood in a furnace made by the Czech company Verner. Its excellent 13 kW output allows the stove to serve as the primary heat source for the entire cottage. Thanks to the hot-water underfloor heating, you can expect a pleasantly warm floor throughout the house. The kitchen is fully equipped with all necessary Gorenje appliances and a Krups coffee machine with top-quality coffee directly from the roastery in Vysoké nad Jizerou. This coffee is our choice number one not only because we love its taste but also because the owner of the roastery, Mr Bohdan Blažek, was born in Vysoké nad Jizerou. In a nutshell, we wanted our cottage to be as local as possible.
Apart from the bedroom with a double bed, the ground floor also offers a Finnish sauna in poplar wood. Adjust the temperature to your needs and bring your sauna experience to the next level with the specific scent of the poplar wood and the beautiful view over the valley with the horizon of the opposite hill dominated by the U Borovice lookout tower.
The ground floor has a bathroom with a shower enclosure, a toilet and a bath. The whole ground floor, including the sauna, is barrier-free.
UPPER FLOOR GALLERY
The upper floor offers three three-bed bedrooms, all of them with underfloor heating. The thermal comfort is regulated automatically using a large thermal storage tank partly filled with the heat generated by the wood-burning stove on the ground floor. A children’s bed can be added to one of the three-bed rooms. This studio bedroom has a private bathroom, a toilet, and an LG TV connected to the Internet. We are proud to give Chamburina, the local table game, to your disposal. It grew so popular with the people from Vysoké nad Jizerou and nearby villages that the world championship in this game is held in the Prdek chalet in Paseky nad Jizerou. The intellectual’s corner in the library invites you to enjoy a moment of calm and dive deep into some good reading. Need some air? Take your book and read it at the small table on the covered outdoor patio.
The upper floor houses the third big bathroom with a toilet, two washbasins, a bidet and a shower enclosure. On top of that, the bathroom is another spot from where you can admire magnificent views over the valley and the lookout tower.
LIFE ON THE COURTYARD
There is a garden shed, a covered parking area, and a covered patio you can enjoy from spring to autumn. The table seats 10 people. There is a water tap; you can use our Weber gas grill and play darts. Fancy a campfire moment? Feel free to ask us – we will happily lend you our portable outdoor fireplace so you can sit down on the stones and taste sausages deliciously roasted on fire.
The garden shed accommodates your skis, bikes and garden equipment. Furthermore, you will find there a compressor and essential tools.
Sauna
To enhance the relaxing effect of your stay, we placed a Finnish sauna at your disposal. Premium poplar wood gives it a decent look and a specific smell you will feel during the sauna session. The sauna was made by Harvia, a reputed Finnish company that belongs to the leaders in the market. Take a deep breath and enjoy your time in the realm of peace.
Relaxing hot tub bath with jacuzzi
We want your stay to be as pleasant as possible. We have placed an outdoor hot tub bath with a jacuzzi massage and dim light as a new addition. Day or night, you can enjoy a relaxing bath with beautiful scenic views or stars shining above your head. The Jacuzzi massage in the hot tub may be used all year round and offers an unforgettable experience regardless of the temperature and the season. The barrel fits up to five people. The hot bath brings along countless benefits for your health. To name a few, it benefits our metabolism, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. It helps release stiffness of joints and muscles, and it is a great tool to release tension, relax both physically and mentally and recover after training and muscle fatigue. The hot massage bath has proven to have a positive impact on our immunity system, too. Overall, this romantic and healthy experience is warmly recommended.
However, be careful in cold and windy weather. Make sure to immerse yourself in the water up to your chin and use a hat to prevent lockjaw and neck pain. When filling the stove with wood, please remember that the flue is the hottest part of the tub that may cause burns. Please let us know at least one day before your planned bath that you want the tub heated.
Cottage and its neighbourhood
Chamburina
Garden
There is no room for boredom at our place.
Cards, board games, and historical chess with a wooden draughtboard for logic lovers are available in the living room. Use the opportunity to play the Chamburina – a genuinely local table game.
Scenic mountain walk near Vysoké nad Jizerou – video
SKI resorts:
www.skisachty.cz (5 minutes by car)
www.skipaseky.cz (closest chairlifts are 10 minutes by car)
www.skiareal-rokytnice.cz (one of the longest ski slope in the Czech Republic, 15 minutes by car)
www.rejdice.cz (10 minutes by car)
Cross-country skiing trails:
If there is enough snow, you simply put on your ski outside the cottage and set off for one of the many well-maintained trails nearby Vysoké nad Jizerou. The trails offer stunning views of the panoramas of the Giant Mountains. You can try Štěpánka, a nice cross-country skiing resort (10 minutes by car, direction Příchovice).
Suggestions for a walk:
info.vysokenadjizerou.cz/vylet-pesky/
Tips for bike tours:
info.vysokenadjizerou.cz/tipy-na-cyklo-vylet/
Road trip destinations:
info.vysokenadjizerou.cz/vylety-auto-pesi/
Nearby lookout towers:
info.vysokenadjizerou.cz/rozhledny-v-okoli/
Outdoor swimming pools nearby:
info.vysokenadjizerou.cz/koupaliste-v-okoli/
Museum of Toy Production & Creative Workshops;
the only manufacturer licensed to sell the traditional Czech Little Mole wooden toys:
https://detoa.cz/en/domovska-stranka-english/
Excellent coffee:
www.kafujeme.cz/Kontakty-a2_0.htm
Museum and a thematic trail dedicated to Jára Cimrman
the quintessential Czech polymath: scientist, researcher, mathematician, sportsman, inventor, playwright, all-round genius and self-taught gynaecologist. In truth, the famous character is the creation of several Czech comedy writers.
http://www.cimrmanenglishtheatre.cz/jara-cimrman/
