What the Szklarka Waterfall is
The Szklarka Waterfall is on the Szklarka stream, in the Karkonosze National Park, about 4 km east of Szklarska Poręba Górna and 25 km from Karpacz. The cascade is 13.5 metres high, which makes it the highest waterfall of the Polish Karkonosze (the stony steps in the Izera Mountains are lower). The waters of the Szklarka fall from a granite scarp into deep, dark pools surrounded by beech and spruce woods.
The waterfall can be visited all year. It looks most striking in spring (high water after the thaw) and in winter (when it freezes and forms spectacular icicles). In summer the flow is weaker, but the surrounding beech and fir woods are in full leaf.
How to reach the waterfall
The simplest way: drive to the "Wodospad Szklarki" car park (on the DK3 between Szklarska Poręba and Piechowice). From there it is about 15 minutes' walk along a waymarked path (green or yellow), downhill through the woods. At the end there is a viewing terrace, steps down to the foot of the waterfall and a footbridge over the stream.
The route is only partly accessible with pushchairs — the final steps are quite steep. In summer the path can be crowded — at weekends it can take 30 minutes or more to get a photograph without people in it. It is best to go in the morning (before 10:00) or in the late afternoon.
Worth knowing
- The national park ticket — the waterfall is in the Karkonosze National Park and a ticket is required (about 10 zł a day). Sold at the booth by the car park
- The Kochanówka hut — a restaurant by the car park, a classic of the 1930s, with regional cooking
- The Kowary adits nearby — former uranium mines, today open to visitors (a separate ticket)
- The link with Karpacz — reachable by car (25 km, about 30 minutes) or by minibus via Jelenia Góra
Other waterfalls nearby
If waterfall-hunting is your aim, there are also these nearby:
- The Kamieńczyk Waterfall (27 m) — in the Izera Mountains, the highest in the Polish Sudetes, about 30 minutes' walk up the trail from Szklarska Poręba
- The Podgórna Waterfall — at Przesieka, about 10 km from Karpacz, about 10 minutes' walk from the car park, less well known
- The Pańska Skała Waterfall — in the Karkonosze on the Czech side, for the more determined
How to get there and practical info
- Car park address
- DK3, Szklarska Poręba (the "Wodospad Szklarki" car park)
- From Karpacz
- About 30 min by car (25 km, via Jelenia Góra)
- Walking time
- About 15 min from the car park each way
- National park ticket
- About 10 zł a day
- Difficulty
- Easy — with children too (from about 5)
- Season
- All year (in winter, watch for slippery steps)
When to go
At its most striking — high water after the thaw. Few visitors until mid-May.
Crowds in July and August, but the surrounding woods give shade. Go in the morning.
Golden beech leaves, an average flow and quiet. Ideal for photographers.
Spectacular icicles — in a hard frost the waterfall freezes into a monument of ice. The steps are slippery, so take care.
Other sights in Karpacz
Straight-line distances from „The Szklarka Waterfall" — calculated from real coordinates. By road it is often further.
Where to stay nearby
Places from our list that have The Szklarka Waterfall within walking distance or a short drive.
