How waterfalls form in the Sudetes

The waterfalls of the Sudetes did not all form for the same reason. Most often their appearance is linked to hard rock through which a stream failed to level its bed the way it did in the softer parts of the valley; the result is a step left in the riverbed, from which the water falls. This is the case with Wilczki Falls in Międzygórze, where the step formed on a fault in gneiss, and the falling water has deepened the ravine over thousands of years through headward erosion and abrasion by rock debris carried along. A similar mechanism shaped Podgórna Falls near Przesieka, where the stream falls in two cascades from a ten-metre rock step between granite cliffs.

At the base of almost every waterfall in the Sudetes, the water has hollowed out a plunge pool, a hollow carved by a swirling current carrying sand and stones. At Kamieńczyk Falls, such a pool is about 5 metres deep, and at Szklarka Falls, potholes, smaller hollows worn in the same way, can also be seen in the rock beside the cascade.

The tallest and best-known waterfalls in the region

The tallest waterfall in the Polish Sudetes is Kamieńczyk Falls in Szklarska Poręba, cascading down from a height of 27 metres in a rock ravine whose walls reach 30-35 metres. Behind the middle cascade lies a cave known as the Golden Chamber, hewn out in the past by prospectors seeking amethyst and pegmatite, which shows that even around this waterfall traces of nature and old mining intertwine.

Second place, at a height of 22 metres, goes to Wilczki Falls in Międzygórze, lying within a nature reserve established in 1958. Third is Szklarka Falls in Piechowice, also known under its old German name, Kochelfall; its 13.3-metre cascade characteristically narrows towards the bottom and twists in a spiral. The earliest descriptions of this spot date back to the Middle Ages, and by the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries it was already an established destination for excursions, visited among others by travellers from the British Isles.

A little further down this hierarchy, but still among the most frequently visited, is Podgórna Falls near Przesieka, the third-tallest among the waterfalls of the Polish Karkonosze. Less well known, since it is hidden deeper in the forest, is Jodłówka Falls by the village of Borowice near Karpacz, one of several streams of the so-called Valley of Five Streams, which together form the river Kacza.

Waterfalls shaped by floods and human hands

Not every cascade in the Sudetes is entirely the work of nature. Dziki Wodospad (Wild Waterfall) on the Łomnica in Karpacz is in fact a debris-check dam, built in 1910-1915 as flood protection. The Łomnica has a steep gradient over a short stretch and flows along the bottom of a steep valley, so during heavy rain or snowmelt it rises quickly and carries large amounts of stones and fallen trees. In the 19th century the river caused serious damage in Karpacz on three occasions, which ultimately led to the dam being built. Today, despite its engineered origin, the water falling over it draws just as many walkers as the natural waterfalls nearby.

The opposite situation also occurs: a flood reversing an earlier human intervention. Until 1997, Wilczki Falls was artificially raised by a weir about 5 metres higher than the natural fall, and thanks to this it was regarded for years as the tallest waterfall in the Sudetes. The great flood of the millennium in 1997 destroyed this artificial structure, restoring the waterfall to its original, 22-metre height and its second place in the regional ranking, behind Kamieńczyk.

When the waterfalls carry the most water

The streams of the Sudetes are fed by rainfall and melting snow, so their flow changes markedly over the course of the year. The most water cascades down in spring, during the snowmelt period, and after longer summer rainfall; at those times the waterfalls are at their most spectacular and loudest. In summer, during dry spells, the flow can be noticeably lower, and some of the smaller cascades, such as Jodłówka Falls, can then resemble more of a stream than a waterfall. In winter, when temperatures drop below zero, the falling water freezes; at Wilczki Falls this creates a spectacular wall of ice, which draws just as many visitors as the full flow of summer.

Trail access and entry to the parks

Most of the waterfalls described here lie within the boundaries of the Karkonosze National Park, established in 1959 and joined with the Czech Krkonošský národní park into a cross-border UNESCO-recognised Bilateral Biosphere Reserve. Entry to this park is subject to a fee, which also applies to the trails leading to Kamieńczyk Falls, Szklarka Falls and Podgórna Falls; the exact rules and points of sale for tickets are worth checking before setting out on the trail, since they vary depending on the point of entry into the park.

It is different with Wilczki Falls in Międzygórze and Dziki Wodospad in Karpacz: both lie outside the boundaries of the national park, in places with well-developed tourist infrastructure, footbridges, viewpoints and steps with railings, but with no entry fee. Regardless of whether a given waterfall is subject to a fee or not, it is worth keeping to the marked paths and viewing platforms; the wet rocks around the plunge pools are slippery all year round, and during snowmelt and after heavy rain the water level can rise very quickly.