Parks and nature
a granite boulder four metres in diameter that, despite its size, can be rocked
Viewpoints
a sharp bend on the Sudetes Road with a panorama of the Karkonosze, hiding former miners' tunnels
Mountains
a Karkonosze peak reachable by cable car, with a viewpoint and a shelter dating from the 1920s
Mountains
the highest peak of the Jizera Mountains, treeless since the ecological disaster of the 1980s
Parks and nature
the highest waterfall in the Polish Sudetes, falling 27 metres in a rocky Karkonosze gorge
Museums
a wooden villa from the late 19th century with exhibitions of the Karkonosze Museum and museum lessons
three runs for sliding down on inflatable rings, for families and groups of friends
Mountains
a rise 1084 metres high in the Wysoki Grzbiet range of the Izera Mountains
a forest toboggan run, minigolf and seasonal attractions for the whole family in the mountains
Museums
a private collection of minerals and dinosaur fossils in an 1885 villa, with the Gibeon meteorite
For children
a forest rope park in the centre of Szklarska Poręba with five routes from age 3 up and a continuous belay system
doll collections, Hot Wheels and LEGO bricks in zones where you can build and play yourself
Museums
minerals and fossils from the Karkonosze (Giant Mountains) in the historic Walloon Watchtower, including a collection of minerals that glow under UV light
Mountains
a 1047-metre hill in the Izera Mountains, also known as Wieczorny Zamek (Evening Castle)
Mountains
a summit in the Karkonosze, in the Silesian Ridge range, at a height of just under a thousand metres
an educational centre of the Karkonosze National Park with an exhibition on the mountains' nature in four languages
Mountains
a thousand-metre peak in the Grzbiet Wysoki ridge of the Izera Mountains, formerly known by the German name Theisenhübel
Historic sites
disused open-pit mine at an altitude of 1050 metres, the highest-situated mine of its kind in Central Europe
Museums
a collection of historic power engineering equipment in the building of a former hydroelectric power station
Mountains
a forested peak of the Izera Mountains, 965 metres high, with rock formations and a view of the Karkonosze
Mountains
granite rocks from the Upper Carboniferous with 28 rock shelters, on the Wysoki Grzbiet of the Izera Mountains
Mountains
a granite peak above Szklarska Poręba, with the Main Sudetes Trail running at its foot
a collection of over a hundred bottles and labels from the cheapest wines of communist Poland, partly donated by Stefan Friedmann
a granite, partly forested summit of the Karkonosze, formerly known by the German name Scheundelhübel
Szklarska Poręba attractions: Szrenica, the Kamieńczyk Waterfall, Izera Mountains trails and museums for rainy days. See what suits you.
Szklarska Poręba lies where two ranges meet: the Karkonosze and the Izera Mountains. That is why one list joins high peaks, rock formations, waterfalls and several indoor exhibitions. Below you will find ideas for a sunny day, for rain and for families, plus places in nearby villages that are easy to find from the town.
Start with the Kamieńczyk Waterfall and Szrenica, the two main goals above the town. The first is the highest waterfall in the Polish Sudetes, the second a summit reached by cable car, with a viewpoint and a mountain hut on top. Both lie in the Karkonosze, so pick a clear day.
The Kamieńczyk Waterfall drops in cascades from a height of 27 metres in a rocky gorge, at 846 metres above sea level. It lies in the Karkonosze National Park under strict protection, so keep to the marked route. The gorge walls are 30-35 metres high, and behind the middle cascade you see a cave called the Golden Pit.
Szrenica is 1362 metres above sea level and belongs to the Crown of the Lower Silesian Mountains. The summit lies entirely on the Polish side of the border, and from the viewpoint you look over the Jelenia Góra Valley, the Izera Mountains and the Czech part of the Karkonosze.
In good visibility also stop at Death's Bend. It is a sharp bend on the Sudeten Road, built in 1935-1937 on the slope of Czarna Góra. It opens a view of the Karkonosze and the Jelenia Góra Valley.
Choose Wysoka Kopa, Chybotek or the Czerwone Skałki rocks, depending on your fitness and time. Wysoka Kopa is a summit, Chybotek a rock with a rocking boulder and the Czerwone Skałki a group of granite formations. All lie in the Izera Mountains near the town.
Wysoka Kopa is the highest summit of the Izera Mountains, 1127.6 metres above sea level. After the ecological disaster of the 1980s it stayed treeless, with subalpine meadows. The Main Sudeten Trail runs there. Chybotek is a granite rock group with a boulder that, despite its size, can be rocked; old legends of hidden treasure are tied to it. The Czerwone Skałki lie at 952 metres above sea level, between Jakuszyce and Szklarska Poręba, and cover more than five hectares.
Nearby rise Zwalisko (1047 metres), also called the Evening Castle, Izerskie Garby (1084 metres), Cicha Równia (1001 metres) and Czarna Góra (965 metres) right above the town. At 1050 metres above sea level lies the disused Stanisław quartz mine, considered the highest open-pit mine in central Europe. On the Karkonosze side you can climb Przedział (1068 metres) with the Sheep Rocks and the Rock Gate, and Mumlawski Wierch (1217 metres), whose summit carries the Polish-Czech border.
Go to the museums, because Szklarska Poręba has several of them and each is different: about minerals, toys, a writer, power engineering and the nature of the Karkonosze. Some are small, so you can join two or three into one afternoon.
Stone lovers will choose the Mineralogical Museum in a historic villa from 1885, run by the Sokołowski family, or the Juna Earth Museum in the Walloon Watchhouse. The Cheap Wine Museum in the Walloon Hut shows, instead of works of art, packaging of the cheapest wines. Families with children will like the Toy Museum in the centre, with dolls, LEGO bricks and retro games to play yourself.
The story of the writer and his home is told in the House of Carl and Gerhart Hauptmann, a wooden folk-style villa from the late 19th century, now a branch of the Karkonosze Museum. The Jelenia Góra Power Industry Museum is housed in a former hydroelectric plant and tells the story of electric power. About mountain nature you learn in the Karkonosze Centre of Ecological Education, where the boards are in Polish, Czech, German and English.
With children choose Trollandia, Esplanada or the tubing track. The first is a rope park in the centre, the second an amusement park with a sled track among the trees, the third a ride on rubber rings. All are aimed at families. On a hot or rainy day an aqua park will do.
Trollandia lies in the forest of the town park in the centre and has routes for different ages: the youngest from 3 years, older from 6 and from 8 years. Esplanada offers the Alpine Coaster, a gravity sled track among the trees, as well as minigolf and the Mini Car track with electric cars; in winter there is an ice rink and tubing. Separate lanes for sliding on inflatable rings belong to Oponkowa kraina.
When you need to warm up, go to the Blue Mountain Aquapark & Saunarium. The complex of outdoor and indoor pools and sauna zones works at a hotel, but outside peak season it also admits outside guests.
Around the town you will see waterfalls, summits and a castle. In the county lie Piechowice with the Szklarka Waterfall and the Snowy Cirques, and Karpacz with the Wang Church. Each of these places has its own card on the portal, and farther away wait Bolczów Castle and the Park of Miniatures in Kowary.
The Szklarka Waterfall is the second highest waterfall in the Polish Karkonosze. Its thirteen-metre cascade lies in the Karkonosze National Park in Piechowice and is also accessible for wheelchair users. In Karpacz stands the Wang Church, a Norwegian stave church from the 12th-13th century, moved under Śnieżka in 1842. Higher parts of the mountains are described in the category mountains, and neighbouring towns in the lists of Karpacz and Jelenia Góra.
Walk to the Kamieńczyk Waterfall in the morning and ride the cable car to Szrenica around noon. In the afternoon plan a museum or the Trollandia rope park, depending on the weather and the age of the children.
The waterfall lies on the route from Szklarska Poręba to the main ridge of the Karkonosze, in the strict protection zone of the Karkonosze National Park. Keep to the marked route and check its current condition before you set off.
To one of the museums: Mineralogical, Juna Earth, Toy, Cheap Wine, Jelenia Góra Power Industry or the Hauptmann House. You can also drive to the aqua park at the Blue Mountain hotel.
Yes, the 1362-metre summit is reached by cable car, and at the top wait a viewpoint and a mountain hut. If you prefer to walk, check the trail routes on the Karkonosze National Park map.
For a start choose lower goals: Czarna Góra right above the town (965 metres), Kozi Grzbiet (945 metres) or Gonciarek (631 metres). Przedział and Mumlawski Wierch lie higher in the Karkonosze.
