The splendid view from the Jelenia Hora hill with ruins of the Plavecký castle in the distance. (source: Jana Liptáková)
With its altitude of 415 m above sea level, Jelenia Hora hill does not rank among the highest peaks of the Small Carpathians. Despite that, its peculiar atmosphere so different from other corners of this sometimes underrated mountain range, makes it worth of visiting.
“I feel like somewhere in Croatia,” said Helena Novotná, a veteran tourist and friend of mine when we stood on the bald rocky top of the hill, which in English means the Deer’s Hill, during one sunny Sunday in early May. “Like there, the scent of the hot white rocks and pines is incredible.”
Helena and I discovered Jelenia Hora during our previous longer hike in this region last autumn. As we had time only for a short trip, we resolved to ascend only this peculiar hill. Along with the nearby Kršlenica reef, Čierna Skala hill, all offering spectacular views, it's part of the 39-square-kilometre Plavecký Kras karst mountain range, belonging to the Small Carpathians. Precisely the karst and pines, a tree species not so common in the Small Carpathians, likens this area to Croatian environs, especially the national park of Biokovo.
