Szklarska Poręba — The Karkonosze and the Izera Mountains Waterfalls, Szrenica and the Jakuszyce cross-country trails
Szklarska Poręba is a year-round resort at the western end of the Karkonosze, spread along the Kamienna valley on the edge of the Izera Mountains. It is famous for the two highest waterfalls in the Polish Karkonosze — Kamieńczyk and Szklarka — and for the cable car up Szrenica (1,362 m a.s.l.), which doubles as a large ski area. In winter nearby Jakuszyce is the capital of Polish cross-country skiing and the arena of the Piast Race; in summer the town becomes a base for the trails of Karkonosze National Park. It is also a place tied to an artists' colony and to the Hauptmann brothers.
What to know before you go
Szklarska Poręba sits at roughly 500–900 m a.s.l. in the valley of the river Kamienna, where the Karkonosze meet the Izera Mountains. The town grew from the 19th century as a health resort and a tourist centre, and its history reaches back to glassmaking and mineral prospecting. Today it is one of the most popular year-round resorts in the Sudetes.
Its best-known attractions are two waterfalls inside Karkonosze National Park — the 27-metre Kamieńczyk waterfall, the highest in the Polish Karkonosze, and the slightly lower Szklarka waterfall. Above the town rises Szrenica (1,362 m a.s.l.), reached by a year-round cable car that in winter serves an extensive ski area.
The surroundings are full of viewpoints and natural curiosities: Death Bend on the Sudeten Road, the rocking rock known as Chybotek, and Hala Szrenicka with its old mountain hut. Nearby Jakuszyce, right on the Czech border, is Poland's largest cross-country skiing centre with some 100 km of trails and the home of the Piast Race.
Szklarska Poręba also has a rich cultural history — an artists' colony worked here around the turn of the 20th century, and the writers Carl and Gerhart Hauptmann lived in the town; their house is a museum today. Easy access on national road 3 and revived rail links with Jelenia Góra and the Czech Republic make the town a convenient base for the whole region.
Places you should not miss
The most important sights of the region, each with its own guide — how to get there, when to go, practical info.
The Kamieńczyk waterfall
The highest waterfall in the Polish Karkonosze — the water drops 27 m in three stages into the picturesque Kamieńczyk gorge.
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The Szklarka waterfall
The second highest waterfall in the Polish Karkonosze (13.3 m), in the picturesque Szklarka gorge between Piechowice and Szklarska Poręba.
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Szrenica
A 1,362 m summit above Szklarska Poręba, with a year-round cable car, a mountain hut and the town's main ski area.
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Death Bend
A hairpin bend and viewpoint on the Sudeten Road (775 m a.s.l.) with a platform and a panorama of the Karkonosze and the Jelenia Góra Basin.
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Chybotek
A distinctive rock formation whose great granite block can be set rocking despite weighing many tonnes.
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The House of Carl and Gerhart Hauptmann
A museum in the former villa of the writer Carl Hauptmann on ul. 11 Listopada, devoted to the Hauptmann brothers and the artists' colony of Szklarska Poręba.
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Hala Szrenicka
A broad meadow at about 1,200 m a.s.l. with an old PTTK mountain hut, an important trail junction below Szrenica.
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The Jakuszyce Clearing
Poland's largest cross-country skiing centre at Jakuszyce (about 100 km of trails), home of the Piast Race and open to cyclists in summer.
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List or submit a property →Szklarska Poręba in every season
In spring the melting snow feeds the Kamieńczyk and Szklarka waterfalls, which are at their most impressive then. It is a good time for valley walks and first hikes on the lower trails, while the summits may still be under snow.
In summer Szklarska Poręba is the base for the trails of Karkonosze National Park and the Izera Mountains. The Szrenica cable car runs, and the cooler mountain climate suits walking and cycling.
Autumn brings colour to the forests and fewer people on the trails, while the clear air gives long views from spots such as Death Bend. It is the favourite season of walkers and photographers.
In winter the ski area on Szrenica is open, and nearby Jakuszyce offers about 100 km of cross-country trails and hosts the Piast Race. Thanks to the altitude and the setting, the snow lasts a long time here.
How to get there and what to know
- Getting there
- On national road 3 (E65) from Jelenia Góra; from Szklarska Poręba the road continues towards Harrachov and the Czech border crossing at Jakuszyce.
- By train
- The Szklarska Poręba Górna and Dolna stations serve connections with Jelenia Góra and Wrocław; seasonal trains to Harrachov in the Czech Republic have also been revived.
- Parking
- Paid car parks at the Kamieńczyk and Szklarka waterfalls and at the bottom station of the Szrenica lift; free parking at Death Bend.
- Ski season
- The Szrenica ski area and the Jakuszyce cross-country trails are usually open from December to March, depending on snow conditions.
- Trails
- Entry to the trails of Karkonosze National Park is charged (a KPN ticket); some routes lead to the waterfalls and up to Hala Szrenicka.
How far to the sights
Approximate straight-line distances from the centre of Szklarska Poręba — calculated from real coordinates. By road it is often further.
- The House of Carl and Gerhart Hauptmann
- ~567 m from the centre Szklarska Poręba (as the crow flies)
- The Kamieńczyk waterfall
- ~2,2 km from the centre Szklarska Poręba (as the crow flies)
- The Szklarka waterfall
- ~2,5 km from the centre Szklarska Poręba (as the crow flies)
- Chybotek
- ~2,5 km from the centre Szklarska Poręba (as the crow flies)
- Death Bend
- ~2,7 km from the centre Szklarska Poręba (as the crow flies)
- Hala Szrenicka
- ~3,9 km from the centre Szklarska Poręba (as the crow flies)
- Szrenica
- ~4,4 km from the centre Szklarska Poręba (as the crow flies)
- The Jakuszyce Clearing
- ~7,6 km from the centre Szklarska Poręba (as the crow flies)
Where Szklarska Poręba is
Frequently asked questions — Szklarska Poręba
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