The Czech/German/Polish Giant Mountains / The Rise of Modern Tourism amidst Contested Ethnic Coexistence

When Krkonoše [the Giant Mountains] are mentioned today, Czech residents likely think of the highest peak Sněžka, the beloved TV series Krkonošské pohádky [the Giant Mountains Fairy Tales], and perhaps the tragic story of cross-country skiers Bohumil Hanč and Václav Vrbata in 1913, which was recently adapted into a feature film. 1 From the Polish perspective, Karkonosze are perceived as a perhaps overly commercialized, yet highly popular recreational destination, symbolized by the meteorological station on the Polish side of Sněžka's summit, colloquially known as "flying saucers".For many Germans, too, die Riesengebirge represent a traditional tourist destination, associated with a long history of German settlement.This region at the crossroads of three nations offers a vivid history of modern mountain tourism set against the backdrop of complex ethnic coexistence.It is this intricate past that Czech researcher Stanislav Holubec has chosen to unravel in his book.