Great views

The best views in Lower Silesia: Karkonosze peaks, lookout towers in the Sudetes and low hills. Choose a panorama to match your fitness.

Which Karkonosze peak gives the biggest panorama?

The highest is Śnieżka, 1,603.30 metres above sea level, the highest mountain of the Karkonosze, the Sudetes and the whole Czech Republic. It stands on the Polish-Czech border, and in good visibility the panorama stretches more than 200 kilometres. Kopa, on the way to Śnieżka, is about 1,377 metres high and has a chairlift and the Karpacz Ski Arena ski complex.

From the western side of the massif you climb Szrenica, a peak of 1,362 metres above Szklarska Poręba, reached by cable car, with a viewpoint and a mountain hut at the top. Further along the ridge lie Łabski Szczyt (1,471 metres, a PTTK hut on the slope), Śląskie Kamienie (1,413 metres, a group of rocks with a view of the Czech Kamienie) and Wielki Szyszak (1,509 metres), the fourth peak of the Karkonosze. No marked trail leads to Wielki Szyszak, and on the summit stand the ruins of a monument to Wilhelm I from 1888.

In the Izera Mountains look for a panorama on Wysoka Kopa (1,127.6 metres), treeless since the ecological disaster of the 1980s, with subalpine meadows. Near Szklarska Poręba there is also Zakręt Śmierci (Death Bend), a viewpoint on the Sudeten Road that opens a view of the Karkonosze and the Jelenia Góra Valley. If you are staying in the Karkonosze, see the separate pages for Szklarska Poręba and Karpacz.

Where can you climb a lookout tower in the Central Sudetes?

A good choice is Wielka Sowa, the highest peak of the Owl Mountains (1,015 metres) and a point of the Crown of Polish Mountains. On top stands a concrete lookout tower from 1905-1906, managed by the municipality of Pieszyce. The third highest peak in the range is Kalenica (964 metres), with a lookout tower, a beech forest reserve and the Dzikie Skały rock formations.

In the Wałbrzych Mountains you have Trójgarb, with three summits of 778, 758 and 741 metres and a lookout tower on top. Above Szczawno-Zdrój rises Chełmiec (850 metres) with a lookout tower and a millennium cross. Closer to town are Zamkowa Góra (618 metres) with the ruins of the medieval Nowy Dwór castle, and Lisi Kamień (613 metres) with traces of former silver ore mining.

The Central Sudetes also hold Waligóra, the highest peak of the Dry Mountains and the whole Stone Mountains (933.88 or 936 metres, sources give both values). In the Kłodzko Land, in Nowa Ruda, you can climb a historic stone tower of sandstone on St Anne's Hill, or All Saints' Hill (648 metres), where there is a viewpoint.

What to choose in the Kłodzko Land and the Eastern Sudetes?

Szczeliniec Wielki is the highest peak of the Table Mountains (922 metres) in the Table Mountains National Park, with viewing terraces, cracked sandstone rocks and a trail dating from 1814. Śnieżnik (1,425 metres) is the highest border peak on the Polish side of the Eastern Sudetes, with a lookout tower and nature reserves around it. Neighbouring Mały Śnieżnik is 1,326 metres high and lies in a nature reserve.

Jagodna, the highest peak of the Bystrzyckie Mountains, has two summits, a lookout tower and a PTTK hut on the trail to Międzylesie. Brusek (1,115.9 metres) in the Bialskie Mountains lies close to the Czech border. Jawornik Wielki (872 metres) in the Złote Mountains has a lookout tower, and in good weather you can see the Sudeten Foreland and the Silesian Lowland from it. Šerlich (1,025 metres) in the Orlické Mountains has its summit on the Czech side, but the slopes facing Zieleniec belong to Poland.

Where can you get a view without climbing high?

Ślęża (717.5 metres) is the highest peak of the Sudeten Foreland above Sobótka. It was once a centre of pagan worship and still keeps its stone sculptures. For a shorter walk choose Wieżyca (415 metres), with a lookout tower from the early 20th century, reached by the yellow trail from Sobótka.

In the Kaczawa Foothills stands Ostrzyca Proboszczowicka, the conical peak of an old volcano, 501 metres high, with a basalt neck, a nature reserve and a trail of stone steps. Skopiec (720.7 metres) is the third peak of the Kaczawa Mountains, and Lwia Góra (718 metres) lies in the Rudawy Janowickie. Skalnik (945 metres) is the highest in its range and has a viewpoint on the Ostra Mała rocks. In Jeżów Sudecki Szybowcowa Mountain gives a panorama over the Karkonosze and the Jelenia Góra Basin, and the famous Grunau Baby glider was built on this hill.

Close to Wrocław and Trzebnica are the lowest rises: Winna Góra (219 metres) with a park on its slopes and the artificial Tarnogaj Hill (133 metres). The Bismarck Tower on Jańska Góra is a ruin, fenced off, with no access to the viewing platform, so do not go there for a panorama.

How do you choose a destination for a trip?

Start with your fitness and the weather. In poor visibility pick lower peaks with a tower, and leave the high ridges for a day with a good forecast. If you are staying in Jelenia Góra, see the viewpoints in Jelenia Góra, and for the regional capital the best views in Wrocław.

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest peak in Lower Silesia?

Śnieżka, 1,603.30 metres, the highest mountain of the Karkonosze and the Sudetes.

Where can I ride a lift to the top?

By cable car to Szrenica from Szklarska Poręba, and by chairlift to Kopa near Karpacz.

Where are the lookout towers?

Among others on Wielka Sowa, Kalenica, Trójgarb, Chełmiec, Śnieżnik, Jagodna, Jawornik Wielki and Wieżyca.

Which peak has no marked trail?

Wielki Szyszak in the Karkonosze. Plan another goal in that area if you want a marked trail.

Where can I see a view with less effort?

On Wieżyca near Sobótka, at Zakręt Śmierci on the Sudeten Road, or on Szybowcowa Mountain in Jeżów Sudecki.