page_title: Polish–Czech Friendship Trail
section_title: History of the trail
hierarchical_section_title: Polish–Czech Friendship Trail / History / History of the trail
caption_attribution_description: English: Polish_Czech Friendship Trail on the map of Sudetes
context_page_description: The Polish–Czech Friendship Trail is a public walking path in the Karkonosze Mountains. The path runs on both sides of the Czech–Polish border, along the main ridge and crosses or traverses all its summits. The maintenance of the trail is performed by the staff of both adjacent national parks: the Polish Karkonosze National Park and the Czech Krkonoše National Park. The trail is marked red and the signs mostly bilingual. The start point is located on Szrenica and the end in the Okraj Pass/Pomezní boudy; the length of the trail is approx. 30 km; the level of difficulty is moderate. The trail partially overlaps with ski trails.
context_section_description: The trail was opened on 16 June 1961, as a result of the Polish–Czechoslovak treaty concerned with tourism and mutual relations. It was made possible to hike along the border, but it still involved some formalities (e.g. identity card and check-in to a hotel) and the trail was not accessible to tourists outside these two countries. In the 1970s and 1980s Polish and Czech dissidents met on the trail, including Jacek Kuroń and Václav Havel. With the implementation of martial law in Poland on 13 December 1981 the trail was closed. It was reinstated in 1984. Paradoxically, despite the declared friendship, the trail route was the subject to some formal issues: Czech authorities claimed that the route infringed the Czech territory by 2 metres. Trips to the peak of Sněžka were possible only if accompanied by a guide approved by local authorities (including the army and militia). After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, the name changed to Polish-Czech Friendship Trail and the regulations were reduced considerably: the check-points were often left unstaffed and only random inspections on the border were performed. On the introduction of the Schengen rules in 2007, all border controls were eliminated. Nonetheless, any persons crossing the border must have a valid identity document (ID card, passport) with them.
caption: The trail as shown on a map of the Czech-Polish border
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