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Forest-covered slopes of the Karkonosze Mountains, enchanting with their wide valleys and peat bogs, encourage hiking and cycling trips or spending a few days in one of the guesthouses or agritourism farms.

One of the most recognizable elements of the Giant Mountains landscape are amazing rock formations that emerge in the woods for up to twenty-five meters. In total, about one hundred and fifty rock groups and individual rocks form a unique on a national scale set of natural stone sculptures of various forms and heights, which, due to their fantastic shapes and associated legends, have taken individual names such as Pilgrims, Sunflower or Horse Heads.

The cirques, i.e. huge rock depressions surrounded on three sides by steep slopes, are also very impressive. In the Giant Mountains, the most spectacular are the two twin Snowy Cirques and the Cirque of the Great and the Small Ponds with the beautifully located Samotnia shelter. If we add numerous streams, waterfalls with the Kamienczyk Waterfall and Szklarka Waterfall and diverse fauna, among which wolves, lynxes or mouflons are worth mentioning, we get a wonderful, rich are ideal for summer or winter holidays.

However, the Giant Mountains are not only nature and landscapes but also a region full of architectural monuments and picturesque towns. It is worth visiting beautiful Jelenia Gora with Cieplice spa; Szklarska Poreba, chosen by the 3rd Channel of the Polish Radio for the Winter Capital of Poland, or Karpacz, known from the Wang Temple and frequently visited at any time of the year. Chojnik castle on the Chojnik Mountain near Jelenia Gora also looks spectacular.

The Jizera Mountains and the Foothills are the most westerly part of the Polish Sudetes, through which borders with the Czech Republic and Germany run. The highest peak of the Jizera Mountains is Wysoka Kopa (1126 m a.s.l.), rising in the High Ridge. The picturesque and captivating Jizera Mountains landscape is dominated by wide valleys and hills with elongated, gentle slopes. The four most important rivers flowing through them are the: Izera, Kwisa, Kamienica and Kamienna with some rapid current sections characteristic of mountain rivers, in other stretches they gently meander in a typically flatland manner. Extensive peat bogs, the oldest of which are even 10,000 years old, are covered with many unique species of plants, protected thanks to four nature reserves: ‘Peat bogs of the Izera Valley’, ‘Crocuses in Gorzyniec’, ‘Grady near Posada’ and the forest-flower reserve ‘ Castle Mountain’ (‘Gora Zamkowa’).

The Jizera Mountains are attractive to tourists throughout the year. In winter, it is the mecca for cross-country skiers with a network of perfectly maintained routes on both sides of the border, accessible through tourist border crossings. In the summer it is a region where you can meet many cycling enthusiasts. Large areas of these mountains have the character of flattened tops and large tracts of almost level terrain, which gives excellent planning options for diverse cycling routes. Tourist traffic is concentrated in two towns: Swieradow-Zdroj and Szklarska Poreba, of which Jakuszyce with the famous Jakuszycka Glade are part.

It is also a region abundant in monuments. Worth seeing are the typical housing constructions in Lusatia, whose magnificent examples have been preserved in the vicinity of Zgorzelec and Bogatynia. Among others, on the market in Sulikow, we will find two charming wooden houses with arcades, which belong to the old market square. The old seats of knights and nobility, castles and their ruins are all worth visiting. For example: Gryf, Wlen, Siedlecin, Radomierzyce, Plakowice, Maciejowiec, or a beautiful example of the Italian Renaissance – the palace in Nawojow Luzycki. The mighty Czocha Castle, which served as the setting for numerous films, from war comedies to the screening of ‘Fanny Hill Diaries’, stands proudly with its monumental tower on the Lesnia Lake. Many surrounding towns are worth visiting. Lwowek Slaski, Nowogrodziec, Luban, Zgorzelec or Lubomierz, also known from the Kargul and Pawlak Museum and the Comedy Film Festival, to mention just a few.

Explore more:

See Museum and Education Center of the Karkonosze National Park in Sobieszów under constuction

The end of works is scheduled for the turn of 2022/2023

Lower Silesia – a region for active people

Lower Silesia is a wealth of bicycle routes. Discover the best of the many routes!

Active exploring Lower Silesia with the whole family

Shared moments with the family, sports adventures, discovering the region from the perspective of two wheels - all this can be offered by Lower Silesia

Christmas markets attract visitors in Wrocław and Lower Silesia

The Wrocław Christmas Market started on November 19. It will last until the end of the year until December 31, including New Year's Eve. It is also worth considering the fairs in Kliczków, Łomnica and at the Grodziec Castle as a tourist attraction.

Slow travel in Lower Silesia

Peace and quiet, unpaved routes - that sounds like slow travel. See the Slow Travel map of Lower Silesia with attractions in the spirit of slow tourism

Traces of the past

The cultural inheritance that has been experienced by the contemporary inhabitants of Lower Silesia is, in fact, priceless. To the turbulent fortunes and the multinational society that contributed to the history of the region, Lower Silesian people owe to this day enchanting and mysterious castles, richly decorated palaces and magnificent sacred buildings, which together give larger or smaller towns and villages of which they are treasures a truly unique character. ...

The Okraj Pass and the Na Przełęczy Okraj shelter

The pass is located in the eastern Karkonosze Mountains and rises to a height of 1046 m above sea level.

Mirsk commune

An urban-rural commune in the south-western part of the Lower Silesia Province, situated at the foot of the Izera Mountains, on the route from Szklarska Poręba to Świeradów-Zdrój.

The legacy of the Reformation – the European Reformation Cultural Route

Five centuries after the Protestant movement initiated by Martin Luther reached the territory of Poland, the cultural heritage of the Reformation is still visible to the naked eye in Lower Silesia and Cieszyn Silesia.

Łomniczka Cirque

The largest and deepest post-glacial cirque in the Polish part of the Karkonosze Mountains is located just above Karpacz, between Kopa and Śnieżka mountains.

The Mały Staw Cirque

Undoubtedly - one of the most beautiful places in the Karkonosze Mountains.

Hala Szrenicka

From this high-mountain meadow, surrounding the main ridge of the Karkonosze on both sides, there is a beautiful panorama of the Jizera Mountains.

Ideas for an active weekend in Lower Silesia

If you like spending time actively, check out the blog of Łukasz Kędzierski, a traveler and photographer, and learn about his suggestions.

Dom Śląski

When approaching Śnieżka mountain from the west, it is impossible not to notice the Dom Śląski hostel on flattened area below(Równia pod Śnieżką) - this characteristic building, clearly visible due to its yellow color, is for many the last stop before reaching the highest peak in the entire Sudetes

Karkonosze laborants

In the past, few people lived in the Karkonosze region. These areas were generally difficult to access, and any attempts to develop them were often associated with danger and threat. However, this did not discourage the medieval treasure hunters and precious gems seekers - Walloons.

Podgórna waterfall

It is the third highest - after the Kamieńczyk and Szklarka - waterfall in the Polish part of the Karkonosze Mountains. The water from Podgórna, flowing from the spring between Mały Szyszak and Tępy Szczyt, falls in three cascades from a 10-meter threshold in a narrow ravine, giving an extremely charming view.

Wysoki Kamień (The High Stone)

The peak in the Izera Mountains, located north-west of Szklarska Poręba, rising to a height of 1058 m above sea level. It offers a phenomenal panorama of the Karkonosze Mountains, the Kaczawskie Mountains and the Rudawy Janowickie Mountains - one of the best views provided by the nearby hills.

The Death Curve

This sharp, almost 180-degree curve, sometimes also called the Devil's Bend, was created in the second half of the 1930s, when the so-called The Sudeten Road, leading from Szklarska Poręba to Świeradów-Zdrój was constructed.

Sunflowers (Słoneczniki)

Located at an altitude of over 1,420 meters above sea level, the most visible granite rock formation in the entire Karkonosze Mountains (it can be seen not only from many places on the hiking trails in the area of Karpacz and Śnieżka, but also from the Jelenia Góra Valley).

Crystal Glass Glassworks “Julia”

The tradition of producing artistic products from crystal glass, appreciated at international competitions and reaching the homes of royal and aristocratic families not only throughout Europe, but also across the Atlantic, dates back to the end of the 19th century in Piechowice.

#SzlakMaSmak – EXCELLENT LOWER SILESIA!

In the latest #SzlakMaSmak campaign, we encourage you to taste Lower Silesia

Podgórzyn

A typical tourist village for this region in the Podgórna River valley in the Sudetes, at the foot of the Karkonosze Mountains, at the same time serving as the seat of the commune consisting of 10 small, but extremely charming mountain towns, including Borowice, Głębocka, Miłków, Przesieki and Ściegien.

With a chisel and a laugh – in Szklarska Poręba

Szklarska Poręba has become one large gallery again - in many places there are signposts carved in wood depicting humorous scenes. Similar buildings decorated this city before the Second World War. Unfortunately, none of them survived. How did it happen that the new ones were built?

Mushroom picking

Passed down from generation to generation, the tradition of picking mushrooms in Poland dates back to the noble times, then this custom became a ceremonial described by Mickiewicz in the famous fragment of Pan Tadeusz - a common family mushroom picking

Museum of Sentiments (Muzeum Sentymentów w Kowarach)

Feel Sentiment, visit Kowary.

Rudawy Janowickie

Rudawy Janowickie is a small range in the Western Sudetes located  in the area ranging from the Bóbr Valley in the north to the Kowarska Pass (727 m above sea level) in the south and between the Jelenia Góra Valley in the west and the Kamienna Góra Valley in the east. In the vicinity of Janowice Wielkie, they border the Kaczawskie Mountains, and on the Kowarska Pass, with the Karkonosze Mountains.

Underground natural attractions

At first, it would seem that everything that is worth the attention of tourists visiting the region in Lower Silesia can be found in plain sight - in city museums full of art collections, in richly decorated interiors of historic churches, castles that still hide many secrets of their former owners, or on the picturesque mountain trails in the Sudetes, which are not lacking after all and which inspire constant admiration.

Karkonosze (Giant Mountains)

We have great prospects for the future! Conquer the highest mountain range of the Sudetes

Hala Izerska and Chatka Górzystów

A vast meadow in the Izera Mountains, located on the popular tourist route connecting Szklarska Poręba with Świeradów-Zdrój.

Wang Temple

The history of this small wooden church, which has served the Evangelicals from Karpacz and the surrounding area for over 150 years, resembles a story straight from literature. How did it happen that one of the pearls of Scandinavian sacred architecture found its way to Silesia?

Jakuszyce

It is the highest district of Szklarska Poręba (included in the city in 1945), known primarily for the fact that the largest Polish cross-country skiing center is located here, in which international ski competitions are organized every year (including the one taking place at Polana Jakuszycka the famous Piast Race since 1976).

Szrenica

The peak, 1,362 m above sea level, lies in the western part of the Karkonosze, south of Szklarska Poreba.

Kamieńczyk Waterfall in Szklarska Poręba

Located at the end of the approximately 100-meter-high, extremely narrow ravine, the Kamieńczyk Waterfall, falling into it with an almost 30-meter cascade, allows visitors to literally move into the world of fairy tales and ancient legends.

The Economic Forum in Karpacz – new location, new tradition

The jubilee 30th edition of the Economic Forum will be held on 7-9 September 2021.

What to see in Świeradów-Zdrój

A health resort full of attractions.

Szklarska Poręba

The history of Szklarska Poręba was always bound with the progress of glass industry, with the search for precious gemstones, and from the 19th century with mountain tourism.

Kaczawskie Mountains

The Kaczawskie Mountains close the Jelenia Góra Valley from the north, their eastern border is Nysa Szalona River, and the western border is Bóbr River. In the north, the mountains turn into the vast Kaczawskie Foothills. In the north-west they border (through the Bóbr) with the Izerskie Foothills, and in the south-east part with the Rudawy Janowickie. The highest peak is Skopiec in the South Ridge (724 m above sea level).

Karpacz

When the winter snows melt and the trails in the mountains become more friendly and accessible, many of you set off to the mountains to reach the highest peak of the Karkonosze Mountains and whole Lower SIlesia - Śnieżka. We understand it perfectly, because to be in Karpacz and not to stand on its top is like ... not to be in Karpacz.

Lower Silesia by bike – www.dolnyslaskrowerem.pl

Do you like bikes? Do ride a bike alone, with family or friends? Find your way down easy and fast.

Weekend trip to Śnieżka

It is difficult to imagine such a trip to the Karkonosze Mountains, the most important point of which would not be climbing the Śnieżka towering over Karpacz (1602 m above sea level), the highest peak of the Sudetes. How to plan a trip to make the most of the time spent hiking in the mountains? Here is one of the suggestions.

Snowy Cirque (Śnieżne Kotły)

The view of the Snowy Cirque - thoroughly covered with a layer of frozen snow and at the same time illuminated by the harsh winter sun or shrouded in dense fog, giving the impression that the abyss in front of the viewer has no end - remains in the memory for a long time, if not forever.

Karkonosze Wave

To the uninitiated, we explain that it is not about water attractions, but about a phenomenon that provides ideal conditions for air sports.

Walloons

One of the first who dared to go to the unknown regions of the Karkonosze Mountains were the Walloons - from what is now Belgium and northern France, medieval seekers of treasures and precious minerals.

Sudetes

The Sudetes stretch in a 300 km long arc in the south-west of Poland along the Polish-Czech border. The present appearance of the Sudetes is the result of long-term orogenic and denudative processes, when the mountains were uplifted and then destroyed.

Cross-country skiing routes

Cross-country skiing has a long tradition in Poland – the biggest among numerous events is the Piast Race, organized on the routes of the Jakuszycka Glade for over forty years, in which several thousand cross-country enthusiasts take part every year.

Giant tower Kostrzyca near Karpacz 100m

Dream Jump Karkonosze is the most beautifully situated jumping tower and the most extreme attraction of the Sudetes!

Sokole Mountains

climbing with great views

Religious Heritage in Lower Silesia

So why did the monks travel?

To climb or not to climb? That is the question…

The region of the Karkonosze, Rudawy Janowickie and Izerskie Mountains has been explored by rock climbers since the mid-twentieth century. Although the first paths were equipped with permanent belay only in the mid-90s by Tomasz Szałowski, the place became a Mecca for fans of this sport.

Jelenia Gora – Cieplice

A health resort and recreation centre at the foot of the Giant Mountains with a specific piedmont and strongly stimulus climate.

Czerniawa-Zdroj

Czerniawa-Zdroj is a small picturesque resort located in a deep valley between the ridges of Stog and Smrek. Thanks to its unique climate it is an ideal place for the treatment of children and relaxation for adults. It is a unique on a national scale spa and recreation complex.

Museum of Sport and Tourism in Karpacz

Sport and Tourism Museum in Karpacz is a cultural institution of the local government of Lower Silesia. It collects exhibits, documents and all types of souvenirs related to the development of sport, tourism and nature protection.

Little Japan – Japanese Garden Siruwia

A unique place - a piece of real Japan in the heart of the Karkonosze Mountains.

Other regions of Lower Silesia:

Kaczawa Foothills

The Kaczawa Mountains and Foothills, known as the Land of Extinct Volcanoes, is the northernmost fragment of the Western Sudetes. It primarily delights with nature and landscapes. Ostrzyca is the highest hill here - its characteristic silhouette, visible from many kilometers, is reminiscent of Japanese Fujiyama.

The Barycz River Valley

The Barycz River Valley is mainly visited by nature enthusiasts. Milicz Ponds, known to all ornithologists, are a refuge for many species of birds and their flights attract hundreds of observers to this area. Equally impressive are walks along picturesque levees, especially at sunset or sunrise.

The Nysa, Kwisa and Bobr Rivers

Located on the border with Germany, the region has enjoyed the recognition of canoeing enthusiasts for years. They have both typical mountain and calmer river sections at their disposal. However, it is enough to pull the kayak ashore to see that there are also other attractions in the region.

The Odra River Valley

The Odra River Valley - the largest of the sub-areas of Lower Silesia - is also the heart of the entire region. Only Wroclaw, in which Odra flows with several branches, provides attractions for many days of sightseeing. And this is just the beginning!

Sowie Mountains (Owl Mountains)

The picturesque Owl Mountains, the Central Sudetes range, delight with amazing landscapes that can be admired from many viewpoints. They are a wonderful place for hiking and biking tours and, in winter, breathtaking views can be admired while cross-country skiing on the many trails prepared for especially it.

The Sleza Massif

The Sleza Mountain, rising above the surrounding area at 718 meters above sea level, is located about 30 km southwest of Wroclaw. It is close enough not to have to go too far from the capital of Lower Silesia and to be able to experience the pleasures that a hike gives. And this is why crowds of, not only of Polish, hikers come every day to the summit of this Silesian Olympus.

The Trzebnickie Hills

Trzebnica Hills, also known as the Cat Mountains, are distinguished by their picturesqueness and a dense network of walking and cycling routes encourages active relaxation in the fresh air.

Walbrzych Land

An industrial town called Walbrzych was, until recently, mainly associated with mines, smelters and other large factories. It became famous thanks to the secret of the Golden Train. Does the train allegedly hidden in the underground of Walbrzych really exist? So far it is not known. What is known, however, is that Walbrzych Land is one of the most interesting natural and cultural corners of Poland.

Klodzko Land

Klodzko Land, whose central part is Klodzko Valley surrounded by the ranges of the Bystrzyca, Table and Bardo Mountains as well as the Massifs of Snieznik, is one of the most beautiful regions of Poland. It attracts visitors with its wild nature and fantastic tourist conditions with downhill runs, spa towns and a rich accommodation base.

Giant Mountains and Jizera Mountains

The Karkonosze or Giant Mountains, the highest range of the Sudetes with Sniezka rising 1603 m above the sea level, have amazed people for hundreds of years and it is hard to believe that these mountains are so little known in Poland today. The Jizera Mountains with the Foothills are, in turn, the westernmost part of the Polish Sudetes. The picturesque, captivating Jizera landscape is dominated by wide valleys and hills with elongated, gentle slopes.

Lower Silesian Wilderness

Wild, rich in fauna and flora, and above all beautiful and picturesque, especially at sunrise, when its rays pierce the rising fog, creating an amazing light spectacle