With its natural character, sporting tradition and dense network of sports grounds, Liberec and its near and farther surroundings is a suitable setting for almost all types of sports. For ski and cycle tourists the Jizerské a Lužické Mountains are ideal, for downhill skiers and paraglidists the Ještěd Ridge. There are water areas and swift streams, numerous sports grounds - tennis courts, football pitches, open air swimming pools, indoor swimming pools and skating rinks. Really everyone can devote themselves to their sport in Liberec, be it archery, bowling, golf, paragliding or squash. The most interesting and attractive part of the region is the Jizerské Mountains. In recent years it has been the owners of mountain bikes, above all, who have taken advantage of these mountains. Asphalt and concrete roads criss-crossing even the highest parts of the mountains draw an ever greater number devotees of this sport. The Jizera Mountains also offer pleasant experiences in the winter months when, after good preparation, the more than seventy kilometre long Jizerská Way draws lovers of cross country skiing.
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More
than ten skilifts and prepared pistes in the winter sports centres at Bedřichov,
Špičák and Severák are there to serve down hill skiing enthusiasts.
Most of the pistes in region are suitable for skiers of intermediate
ability. In the winter months, Ještěd also offers good conditions
for downhill enthusiasts. The nothern pistes are suitable for more
demanding skiers, the southern slopes of Na pláně are somewhat less
so. Alongside the pistes on Ještěd there is also a modern ski
jumping area where both republic wide competitions as well as stages of
the ski jumping and northern combination World Cup take place.
Of course the greatest popularity in the most northern Czech mountains is
reserved for the gigantic Jizerská Fifty competition. This cross country
skiing race takes place in remembrance of the Czechoslovakian
mountaineering expedition whose members perished in Peru under mount
Huascaran in May 1970. The competition itself started in 1967 as a test of
condition for mountaineers before undertaking demanding mountaineering
expeditions. The competition first took place, as a memorial to the Peru
expedition in 1971. Ten years later the competition attracted the greatest
number of competitors when 7863 skiers crossed the start line. Even though
since 1989 the number of participants has fallen considerably, the Jizerská
Fifty still ranks among the nine most significant long distance
competitions in Europe and has been ranked among the greatest category
Worldloppet.
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For the more passive friend of sport
Liberec offers the chance to visit league football matches, hockey and
volleyball. The Liberec region offers everyone a rich pallet of
suggestions for actively using their free time. The Smědá river
offers not only possibility of competitive fishing, but also, mainly in
the spring and together with the Nisa and Jizera rivers, the opportunity
for water sports, including rafting. The lakes at Příšovice and Hrádek
nad Nisou are suitable for sailing, however the best place for this sport
is on Hrádek's Kristýna, not far from the state border near the German
town of Zittau. This sixty hectare lake was created when former lignite
mines were flooded. Around Liberec the sandstone training walls near Hrádek
nad Nisou and the granite rocks of the Jizera Mountains offer climbers
plenty to enjoy. There are also several man made climbing walls, the
biggest of which is in the gymnasium of Liberec Technical University.
The new one hundred and seven metre long taboggan in Liberec swimming pool
has proved itself as a great attraction. Golf is another sport which has
recently grown considerably in popularity in Liberec and facilities can
now be found not far from the centre of town in Stráž nad Nisou and onlz
a little further distant in Roztání. As well as the followers of
traditional sport and other forms of active entertainment, Liberec is also
home to a range of organisations whose aim is to unite physical exercise
and spiritual growth. These are groups, dedicated to traditional eastern
martial arts, ranging from the most popular, such as Karate, judo or
Aikido to others such as Kung-fu, Tai-ji quan or Wu-shu. Liberec can offer
a whole host of possibilities as to how to pass your free time in active
pursuits, the decision is yours.