Monument to the Victims of the 20.03.1968 Avalanche

The monument in Karpacz commemorates the victims of the avalanche that struck on 20 March 1968 in Biały Jar in the Karkonosze Mountains.

The avalanche and the rescue operation

The avalanche swept away people walking along the bottom of Biały Jar. Nineteen people died: 13 citizens of the USSR, 4 citizens of East Germany and two Poles. Five injured people, thrown aside by the avalanche, were rescued. The rescue operation involved 1,100 people, including the Polish GOPR mountain rescue service and Czech rescuers.

Practical information

• The monument is located in Karpacz, in the Biały Jar area of the Karkonosze (Giant Mountains).
• Nearby lie Śnieżka and Kopa.
• Sources do not give exact directions or trail markings to the monument; the route is worth planning using a current map of the Karkonosze National Park.