Mountains
an elevation of the Strużnickie Mountains in the Rudawy Janowickie range, neighbouring Bolczów and Karpniki castles
Parks and nature
eight-metre sandstone rock club with an inscription commemorating the anniversary of the Battle of the Nations
forested peak of the Wałbrzyskie Mountains with traces of medieval silver ore mining on its slopes
Mountains
the third-highest peak of the Kaczawskie Mountains, formerly considered the highest in the range
Mountains
peak of the Bialskie Mountains at 1,115.9 metres, close to the border with the Czech Republic
Mountains
border peak of the Orlickie Mountains on the Czech side, with ski lifts and a planned observation tower
Mountains
dome-shaped elevation above Trzebnica with a landscape and recreational park on its slopes
Lakes and bathing areas
eight post-glacial ponds at the bottom of the Śnieżne Kotły cirque, a habitat of the Alpine newt
Mountains
a dome-shaped peak on the Polish-Czech border in the Złote Mountains with a view of the Hrubý Jeseník
Mountains
Mountains
a 1,058-metre summit above Szklarska Poręba with a panorama over the Karkonosze and the Izerskie Mountains
Parks and nature
a forest reserve in the Bialskie Mountains with a relic old-growth forest over 150 years old
Mountains
an artificial hill on a former rubbish dump, with an outdoor gym and a sledging run in winter
Mountains
a basalt hill covered in forest in the Chełmy Landscape Park, in the Kaczawskie Foothills
Mountains
the highest peak of the Włodzickie Hills with an observation tower on a terrace 15 metres above the ground
Mountains
a wooden observation tower on a summit of the Izera Mountains, built on the site of a prewar predecessor
Mountains
a flat, minor summit of the Owl Mountains with a memorial rock and views only through the forest
Mountains
an artificial hill made of postwar rubble, the second-highest point of terrain in Wrocław
Mountains
a 915-metre peak on a table mountain in the Table Mountains, within the national park
Mountains
an 878-metre peak of the Rudawy Janowickie with a cross on the summit and a view of the Karkonosze
Mountains
a granite peak with a private residence on its summit, Hermann Göring's home during the war
Mountains
forested peak of the Kamienne Mountains with wind fissures carved into volcanic rock
Mountains
a 450-metre mound with the ruin of Piast-era Grodno Castle on its summit, within a nature reserve
Mountains
a 1047-metre hill in the Izera Mountains, also known as Wieczorny Zamek (Evening Castle)
Nature in Lower Silesia means high peaks, waterfalls, rock mazes and caves. See where to go and how to combine places into one day.
Mostly mountains, but the list is wider than that. Besides the peaks of the Karkonosze, the Owl Mountains and the Śnieżnik Massif, you will find waterfalls in gorges, sandstone and granite formations, a cave with a visitor trail and small post-mining lakes. Most places on this page carry the free entry tag, and many are marked Solo, so you can go on your own without booking a group.
It helps to separate two types of destination. The first are peaks you climb for the view. The second are shorter stops by a trail, such as waterfalls and rock groups, that take an hour or two. You can build a day from both, as shown below.
Several mountain entries are major ones. Mount Śnieżka is the highest peak of the Karkonosze, the Sudetes and the Czech lands, on the Polish-Czech border, with a panorama reaching over 200 kilometres in good visibility. Szrenica stands at 1,362 m above sea level above Szklarska Poręba, is reachable by cable car and has a viewpoint and a mountain hut at the top. Śnieżnik at 1,425 m is the highest border summit on the Polish side of the Eastern Sudetes, with a lookout tower and nature reserves around it.
The Karkonosze offer more summits. Wielki Szyszak is the fourth highest peak of the range, but no marked trail leads to the top. Łabski Szczyt (1,471 m) lies between Szrenica and the Snowy Cirques and has a PTTK hut on its slope. Śląskie Kamienie is a group of rocks on the ridge on the Czech border, and Kopa stands on the route to Śnieżka and has a chairlift. If you like nature around Karpacz, start with Kopa and Śnieżka.
Not every peak takes a full day. Wieżyca in the Ślęża massif is 415 m high with a lookout tower from the early 20th century, reached by the yellow trail from Sobótka. Ślęża (717.5 m) is the highest peak of the Sudetic Foreland, a former pagan cult site with surviving stone sculptures, and the stone bear at its top dates from the La Tène period. If your trip starts in the regional capital, also check nature in Wrocław.
In the Wałbrzych Mountains you can climb Chełmiec (850 m, lookout tower and a millennium cross) or Trójgarb, a three-peaked hill with a lookout tower. The ruins of the medieval Nowy Dwór castle wait on Castle Hill above the Glinik district of Wałbrzych. In the Kaczawa Foothills stands Ostrzyca Proboszczowicka, the cone of an old volcano with a basalt neck and a trail of stone steps.
Waterfalls are the easiest way to see Sudeten nature without a long march. Kamieńczyk Waterfall is the highest in the Polish Sudetes: a 27-metre cascade in a rocky gorge in Karkonosze National Park near Szklarska Poręba. Szklarka Waterfall in Piechowice is the second highest in the Karkonosze (13 metres) and is also accessible for wheelchair users.
The third in the Polish Karkonosze is Podgórna Waterfall, by the black trail from Przesieka to Sosnówka, with two cascades and granite cliffs on both sides. In Międzygórze you can see Wilczka Waterfall, a landscape reserve with a 22-metre drop, the second largest in the Sudetes. And in Karpacz the Wild Waterfall is a flood-control dam on the Łomnica from 1910-1915, today a walking destination. To gather several such places in one area, open nature in Szklarska Poręba or in Piechowice.
In the Table Mountains two entries fill a whole day. Szczeliniec Wielki (922 m) has viewing terraces, cracked sandstone rocks and a trail from 1814. Błędne Skały is a maze of blocks over about 21 hectares, with marked trails between Kudowa-Zdrój and Karłów. For granite instead of sandstone, see Chybotek in the Izera Mountains, where the largest boulder can be rocked, and Waloński Kamień in Przesieka, where the rocks stand over 2 metres tall.
You can go underground in the Bear Cave in Kletno: the longest cave in the Sudetes, discovered in 1966, with a 45-minute trail and a steady temperature of about 6 degrees. A smaller open cave is Radochów Cave in the Złote Mountains. A completely different landscape awaits at the Colourful Lakes in Wieściszowice: four post-mining ponds of different colours under Wielka Kopa.
The simplest way is to pick one region and choose targets from it. Around Szklarska Poręba, combine Kamieńczyk Waterfall with a climb to Szrenica, and in the Kłodzko Valley pair Błędne Skały with Szczeliniec. From Karpacz you can walk to Śnieżka via Kopa. For a longer stay, try nature in Jelenia Góra and Międzygórze with the Wilczka waterfall.
For a slower pace pick one viewpoint and one short stop by the trail, for example Wielka Sowa (1,015 m, lookout tower, a point of the Crown of Polish Mountains) together with Kalenica, the third highest peak of the Owl Mountains, with a beech forest reserve. In winter and on rainy days go where it is covered, for instance to the caves, because the temperature inside stays constant.
The highest in the Polish Sudetes is Kamieńczyk Waterfall near Szklarska Poręba, with a 27-metre cascade. In the Karkonosze the second is Szklarka Waterfall in Piechowice.
Most peaks, waterfalls and rock groups on this page carry the free tag. Some places do not, like Bear Cave in Kletno or Radochów Cave, because they are visited on a guided route.
Szczeliniec Wielki with its viewing terraces and Błędne Skały, a maze of sandstone blocks. Both lie near Karłów and Kudowa-Zdrój.
Towers stand on Wielka Sowa, Śnieżnik, Trójgarb, Chełmiec, Wieżyca and Jagodna. The easiest start is with the lower peaks in the Ślęża massif or the Wałbrzych Mountains.
Yes, most carry the Solo tag, meaning they suit a solo outing. Before heading to Śnieżka or another border peak, check the current weather conditions.
