VISITING CULTURAL FACILITIES IS NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN DO WITH A DOG

We’ll warn you right now that your furry buddies will not be granted admission to any of the city’s cultural venues. You’re not permitted to take them with you into theatres, cinemas, museums or galleries, and dogs are also prohibited at some popular tourist attractions such as the Zoo and Liberec Botanical Gardens.

SUMMER HIKING WITH A DOG

Of course there’s no need to despair, as we have a much better idea for you – take your mutt for a proper trip in the countryside! And our city offers the ideal conditions for all kinds of day-trippers. To the northeast Liberec is surrounded by the beautiful forests of the Jizera Mountains, while it is shielded by the Ještěd Ridge to the southwest. Both places offer plenty of routes of varying lengths, so you’ll have no trouble choosing one to suit your schedule or fitness level. And, you can easily get to the mountains via local public transport; there are buses to the Jizera Mountains and you can take a comfy ride to Ještěd on a tram.

TRAVELLING WITH A DOG

On the subject of Liberec public transport, you’ll be glad to hear that dogs are welcome. You don’t have to buy them a ticket for the bus, but they do need to be muzzled and on a lead. If you want to travel by train, count on paying your dog’s fare according to the number of kilometres you travel. If you want to take your dog abroad (to an EU country), it has to be chipped or tattooed and also vaccinated against rabies (take your pet’s passport with you).

SWIMMING WITH A DOG

When the sweltering weather hits in the summer, everyone longs for cool water. Although you can’t take your dog into the swimming pools and public outdoor pools (including Liberec’s Forest Swimming Pool), you can freshen up together in the Tajch pond in Vesec or at the Fojtka reservoir in Mníšek. The popular Mšeno reservoir in Jablonec does not allow dogs to swim in the first reservoir during the bathing season – i.e. from 1 May to 31 August. From May to September dogs can only go in the 2nd and 3rd reservoirs there.

WINTER HIKING WITH A DOG

At the other extreme, when winter blankets our landscape in snowdrifts, it is time for the skiing season and keen sportspeople head for the mountains. If you’re planning a trip in the same direction, then definitely don’t make for the downhill slopes, where pedestrians and dogs are banned for safety reasons. And they certainly won’t be happy to see you on the cross-country skiing routes either, where pedestrians are a disaster for those ski trails that took so much work to build. However, we can recommend an easy trip from Maliník (the saddle above Bedřichov), past the Česká chalupa guesthouse to Lidové sady park. You can take a bus to Maliník, then walk all the way down the hill back into Liberec. This four-kilometre route is very popular and often busy with other walkers, so you don't have to worry about getting stuck in a snowdrift. You should note that there might be the occasional skier or children on sledges whizzing by, so keep your dog under control. And if you start to feel peckish, thirsty or a little tired along the way, stop to regain your energy at the Česká chalupa restaurant. You’ll find it around a third of the way along the route and dogs are allowed inside.

GOODIES FOR DOGS

After you’ve treated yourself to a good meal, you might want to give your dog a treat, too. If so, you don’t have to think too long about it – just visit the first dog bakery in Liberec, with the enticing name of Bone Apetit. The treats, granules and even cakes for dogs from this bakery are 100% natural and are made from quality cuts of meat, fish, cheese, fruit and vegetables.

And as what goes in must come out, we’ll also take this opportunity to ask all considerate owners to clean up after their dogs.

AND FINALLY, WE ALSO HAVE SOMETHING FOR CAT LOVERS

While we’ve devoted most of our article to dogs, we can set things straight now and end by saying something about cats. Although you’re unlikely to be taking your cat on your travels, if you do tend to prefer feline company to canines, we have a tip for you. Liberec has a unique cat café – Catfé Kočičárna! This is a great place with excellent coffee, tasty desserts and especially cats, which you can not only make a fuss of, but can perhaps even adopt one and give her a new home.