About the lift
The chairlift up Kopa is one of the oldest working cable lifts in the Polish mountains — the first version was built in 1959 and modernised in 1990 and 2010. It is now a two-person chairlift (open, without covers), 2,185 m long with a rise of 561 m. The ride takes about 10 minutes. In summer the base station of a further lift to the summit itself is on Kopa, which means you can be at the observatory on Śnieżka within 30 minutes of leaving the centre of Karpacz.
The lift runs both in summer (as transport for walkers) and in winter (as transport for skiers — Kopa is the centre of a ski area with 14 runs).
What to do once you are up on Kopa
- The climb to Śnieżka — west along the ridge, about 1.5 hours each way, easier than the classic route from the Wang Church
- The dwarf pine loop — an easy loop around the summit of Kopa (about 1 hour), ideal with children
- The Strzecha Akademicka hut — one of the oldest in the Karkonosze, with food and beds
- The glacial cirques — Mały Staw and Wielki Staw, lakes in the glacial cirques on the flank of Kopa. The waterfall at Mały Staw is one of the loveliest sights in the Karkonosze
- Scooter descents (seasonal) — hire places on Kopa offer off-road scooters for the ride down to Karpacz, for the bold
The winter season — skiing
The Kopa complex is the largest ski area at Karpacz — 14 runs totalling about 10 km, for every level. The best known is Liczyrzepa (black, FIS-approved, 1,450 m long, with an average gradient of 22%). For intermediates there are Lemur and Olbrzym (red). There is a snow park, floodlit evening runs and ski schools.
A day pass costs about 190 zł, an afternoon pass about 140 zł and a 4-hour pass about 120 zł (seasonal prices). Equipment hire costs about 100 zł a day. The season usually runs from the end of December to the end of March, and on the highest runs into mid-April.
How to get there and practical info
- Base station address
- ul. Turystyczna 4, Karpacz
- Return ticket
- About 70 zł for adults (in summer)
- Day ski pass
- About 190 zł (in season)
- Journey time
- About 10 minutes up
- Summer season
- May to October, daily
- Winter season
- December to March, with the lift on a ski pass
When to go
May and June — the summer services start. Few visitors, good for walkers.
The height of the season — queues even on weekdays. At weekends 30–60 minutes' wait.
September is the best — warm and empty. October can already be cold and misty.
The ski season — the lift runs on a ski pass. School holidays and Christmas mean crowds.
Other sights in Karpacz
Straight-line distances from „The Kopa chairlift" — calculated from real coordinates. By road it is often further.
Where to stay nearby
Places from our list that have The Kopa chairlift within walking distance or a short drive.
