Červený vodopád

Červený vodopád (Red Waterfall) is a small but scenic system of three cascades on the Červený potok (Red Stream) in the municipality of Josefův Důl, deep in the Jizera Mountains on the Czech side of the border. Overshadowed by the far more famous Jedlová waterfalls nearby, it remains a quiet find for visitors willing to step off the main trail.

How to get there?

The falls sit in Josefův Důl, roughly half a kilometer from the better-known Jedlová waterfalls — a proximity that often leads visitors to confuse the two. The area is crossed by a route linked to the Gustav Leutel educational trail, which winds through former settlements and forest in the Jizera Mountains. The trail finishes with a gentle descent from the hills around the waterfall down toward the train station, making Josefův Důl a convenient start and end point for a walking loop. The lowest of the three cascades sits right beside the road leading to the Peklo hotel, so it can be seen almost without leaving the road at all.

What will you see?

The name "Červený vodopád" actually covers three separate cascades spread across more than 100 meters of the stream. The upper waterfall is about 2 meters high with a flow of roughly 10 liters per second — it formed on a pile of loose boulders, which geologists classify as a "false" waterfall rather than one cut directly into bedrock. The main, middle waterfall is the tallest at 2.8 meters and is structural, shaped by solid rock, though its flow is the smallest of the three at around 5 liters per second. The lower waterfall, also structural, matches the upper one in height (2 meters) but carries more water (about 10 liters per second).

Most visitors stop at the lower level, since it's visible directly from the road, and never go further — missing the fact that the most interesting stretches of the cascade lie higher up, roughly midway up the slope. Anyone willing to walk a little further into the forest finds a quieter spot than the busier, more heavily promoted waterfalls on the nearby Jedlová stream.

Why step off the main trail?

Červený vodopád isn't signposted as prominently as other water features in the Jizera Mountains, which keeps visitor numbers noticeably lower. It suits travelers looking for nature without the crowds — a rocky ravine carved by the stream, framed by the spruce forest typical of the region, with the sound of falling water accompanying much of the walk.

When to visit?

Water flow is strongest in spring, after snowmelt from the higher parts of the Jizera Mountains, and following extended rainfall — that's when all three cascades look their most dramatic. In summer and early autumn the stream runs calmer, but the approach path is at its easiest, without the mud and slippery rocks typical of the snowmelt season.

Frequently asked questions

What is Červený vodopád? It's a system of three small waterfalls — upper, main, and lower — on the Červený potok stream in Josefův Důl, in the Jizera Mountains, ranging from 2 to 2.8 meters in height.

How far is it from the Jedlová waterfalls? About half a kilometer — a different, better-known waterfall system in the same area that Červený vodopád is often confused with.

Can you see the lower waterfall from the road? Yes, the lowest cascade sits right next to the road leading to the Peklo hotel and can be reached with almost no detour from the path.

Which of the three waterfalls is the tallest? The main, middle waterfall — it stands 2.8 meters high and formed on solid bedrock, unlike the upper cascade, which formed on a pile of loose boulders.