Karkonosze and Szklarska Poreba

The Giant Mountains, The Highest Range In The Sudetes, Topped By Sniezka At 1,603 M On The Czech Border, With Waterfalls, Glacial Cirques And A National Park Since 1959. Szklarska Poreba Is The Main Base For Hiking In Summer And Skiing In Winter · Szklarska Poreba, Lower Silesian

The Karkonosze, or Giant Mountains, are the highest range of the Sudetes and run along the border with the Czech Republic. Sniezka, at 1,603 m, is the top, and its summit is half in Poland and half in Czechia. Szklarska Poreba is the main Polish base on the western side, with trails up to Szrenica (1,362 m), the Kamienczyk and Szklarka waterfalls and the ruins of Chojnik castle on a nearby hill. Karpacz, on the eastern side, has the Wang church, a Norwegian timber church moved here in the 1840s, and the easiest route up Sniezka. The ridge is open and cold even in summer, with grass, dwarf pine and bare rock above the trees. In winter the area is a ski resort. Fog, wind and sudden storms are normal, and visibility on the summits can drop to a few metres. The huts (schroniska) offer food and beds. Szklarska Poreba is a lively but ordinary resort town, so the draw is the trails, not the streets.

Szklarska Poreba and the Polish side of the Giant Mountains, on the Czech border in south-western Poland, Szklarska Poreba, Lower Silesian, Poland

The Polish part of the mountains is open all year and the trails have no gate, so walking is free except for the national park ticket, which is commonly required at park entrances, as trail ticket booths operate in daylight. Chairlifts to Szrenica and the cable car to Kopa above Karpacz run on set hours, usually from morning until late afternoon, and stop in high wind, storms and for annual maintenance, often in spring and autumn. Wang church and Chojnik castle have their own hours, with a closing day in the low season, commonly Monday or Tuesday. Trails are free to walk at any hour but are unsafe after dark. Confirm all times and closures before going, as seasonal changes are common and I cannot give exact times.

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