Szczeliniec Wielki

Szczeliniec Wielki is the highest peak of the Table Mountains, at 922 m above sea level, lying within the Table Mountains National Park near Karłów, in Kłodzko County.

Cracked sandstone

The summit is built of Late Cretaceous sandstone that formed in a marine environment. The rock surface is weathered and cracked, which gave it the characteristic tabular shape typical of the Table Mountains.

Rocks with their own names

On the summit you can pick out rock formations with given names: the Camel, the Mammoth, the Elephant, the Hen, the Monkey, the Dog, the Turtle and the Owl. Well-known spots also include the Great-Grandfather's Armchair, Little Hell and the Devil's Kitchen. Two boulders, called the Cradle of Princess Emilka and the Heart of the Spirit of the Mountains, can be moved with little effort. The highest point of the summit is the aforementioned Great-Grandfather's Armchair. The previously given height of 919 m did not refer to the summit itself, but to a geodetic survey point located under the viewing terrace by that rock.

A landmark for centuries

The distinctive silhouette of Szczeliniec has long served as a landmark on old trade routes. The oldest trace of human presence is the inscription "IHSV 1576" carved into the Great-Grandfather's Armchair. According to tradition, persecuted Protestants sheltered in the rocks during the Thirty Years' War.

How the tourist trail was created

In 1814 Franz Pabel, the village head of nearby Karłów, built 680 steps leading to the summit, becoming the first guide to Szczeliniec and the author of the first booklet about the place. In 1846 a Tyrolean-style shelter opened, later run by PTTK. The summit was visited by, among others, the Prussian king Frederick William II, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and the future president of the United States John Quincy Adams, who was here on 25 August 1800.

Reserve and national park

The summit is covered by a landscape reserve and lies within the Table Mountains National Park. The viewing terraces offer a panorama of the Sudetes, and narrow passages between the rocks, such as Little Hell and the Devil's Kitchen, are part of the sightseeing route.

Crown of the Mountains of Poland

Szczeliniec Wielki belongs to the Crown of the Mountains of Poland and the Crown of the Mountains of Lower Silesia, and is considered one of the greatest tourist attractions of the Sudetes. In the past it also bore other names, including Siennica, and after 1945 Strzaskany and Spękany, as well as Stołowiec.

Practical information

• Location: a peak in the Table Mountains, near the village of Karłów, in Kłodzko County.
• Route: the circular trail loop is about 5 km long and runs past viewing terraces.
• Nearby: Liczyrzepa's Throne (Tron Liczyrzepy) and the Błędne Skały rock maze.
• Access to the trail may be paid during the tourist season; check the current rules and hours before visiting the national park.