History

The building was built in 1845 in the Tyrolean style, that is, in an architectural form similar to Alpine villas or guesthouses – made of wood, with a gabled roof, it has a large terrace, balconies with sweeping views of the mountains. As late as the 17th century, Szczeliniec Wielki was thought to be impregnable. A century later, wanting to use the place as a fortification, construction of a route leading to the mountain began. In the end, it was never used for defense purposes, but since then it has become a very popular point to conquer. Involved in the construction of the trail from the beginning was Franciszek Pabel, a resident of Karlow, who later became the village mayor and a guide showing hikers around Szczeliniec. Before the trail became available to tourists, members of the royal family came there, this place was also visited by Johann Wolfgang Goethe in 1790. In the following years, the route was successively expanded with stairs, handrails and paths to get to the higher parts of the hill. To conquer the mountain one has to climb as many as 665 stairs.

At the top of Szczeliniec Wielki – which belongs to the Crown of the Polish Mountains – you can feel like you are in an enchanted labyrinth of rock passages. There are various rock formations resembling people, animals or objects. Among them you can see, among others, a camel, an elephant, a monkey, an owl, as well as two moving rocks known as wobbles.

How to get in?

The site can be reached on foot along the yellow trail from two directions: from Karlow or from the Pasterka shelter. At the beginning you get to the pass between Maly and Wielki Szczeliniec, then to the summit and viewing terraces. The uphill route leads up stairs equipped with handrails, which makes the climb easier. This is a hike that even less athletic people should be able to handle, as it is quite short. By adjusting the pace to one’s physical abilities, anyone will easily climb to the top. In winter, you need to be more careful, because going up the snow-covered steps, it is easy to slip. The most important thing is to walk the route guided by the slogan #MountainsWithoutBrawl and reach the summit safely.

Amenities

On Szczeliniec is the only facility in the Sudetes that does not have an access road, so a freight lift was created to deliver products to it. Warm home-cooked meals await hikers at the facility – bigos, pancakes, baked beans and even sour soup. The facility also offers excellent apple pie with whipped cream and highland-style coffee. Of course, you can count on free boiling water on site. The building has a total of 41 beds with shared bathrooms. For those who decide to stay there overnight, mulled beer with cinnamon and honey awaits, and in the morning scrambled eggs with ham or oatmeal on milk with sweet banana. The property also has a dining room with a fireplace, where you can enjoy a meal, play games or spend an evening with the sound of a guitar. In addition, there is a terrace, available as part of the restaurant during the warmer months, with a beautiful view of the mountain panorama, as well as a fire pit over which you can prepare sausages for dinner.

Attractions in the area

While in the area, you should also see other attractions, such as the Errant Rocks, a rock city with a variety of rock formations. The tourist route leads through an unusual maze between high rocks, with tourists having to squeeze through narrow passages in some places. It is also possible to walk from the site in less than an hour to the Pośna waterfall. It is best to go to this place after a rainfall, because then streams flow down the rocky gorge, creating a romantic waterfall. The yellow trail from the site also leads to Kudowa-Zdroj, one of the spa towns. There you can see the Spa Park with the “Gazebo of Love” vantage point, the Toy Museum, offering an interesting exhibition and workshops, a rope park, and the Skull Chapel, whose walls and ceiling consist of about 3,000 skulls and human bones. “On Szczeliniec” is also an ideal base for longer hikes, such as the red route to Skalne Grzybów and the yellow route to the Corner Mountain.

An atmospheric place, rocky mountains, surrounding entertainment – for the power of attractions, visit the Table Mountains!

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