Karkonosze National Park

Karkonosze National Park (kar-ko-NO-sheh) protects the highest part of the Polish Giant Mountains, from Śnieżka (SHNYESH-kah, 1,603 m), the highest peak of the Sudetes, to glacial cirques, mountain lakes, peat bogs and waterfalls above the resorts of Karpacz and Szklarska Poręba. Together with the Czech Krkonoše National Park it forms a cross-border UNESCO biosphere reserve. More than 100 km of trails offer everything from a one-hour waterfall walk to a full-day ridge hike along the Czech border.

Where it is and how to get there

The park lies in Lower Silesia, southwest Poland, right on the Czech border. The two main gateways are Karpacz and Szklarska Poręba, each roughly 20 km from the regional city of Jelenia Góra. From Wrocław, the nearest international airport, allow about two hours by car; from Kraków or Warsaw it is a full day's journey, so most visitors stay several nights. Since 2025 regional trains again run from Jelenia Góra to Karpacz, and Szklarska Poręba has its own rail link. The park headquarters is in Jelenia Góra.

History and protection

The mountains were protected long before the park existed. When this was German Silesia, the Riesengebirgsverein, a hiking club founded in Hirschberg (today's Jelenia Góra) in 1880, built and marked a dense trail network; a nature commissioner was appointed in 1910, a mountain guard in 1927, and the first reserves covering glacial cirques were declared in 1933. After 1945 the region became part of Poland, and the national park was created on January 16, 1959. Following a 2016 extension it covers 5,951 hectares, more than 2,200 of them under strict protection. In 1992 the Polish and Czech parks were jointly designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve, and in 2010 the Karkonosze received Polish national geopark status. Today the park welcomes around two million visitors a year.

Nature highlights

Within a short distance you climb through beech and spruce forest, a belt of dwarf mountain pine and finally an alpine zone of grassland and boulder fields. The range is famous for its glacial cirques, including the dramatic Śnieżne Kotły ("Snowy Cirques") and the basins of the Wielki Staw and Mały Staw lakes. Endemic plants such as the Karkonosze bellflower grow here, and wolves have returned in recent years.

Top places to visit

• Śnieżka — the summit, reachable on foot from Karpacz or with help from the Kopa chairlift.
• Śnieżne Kotły — sheer cirque walls on the ridge above Szklarska Poręba.
• Mały Staw and the Samotnia hut — a glacial lake with a historic mountain hut.
• Kamieńczyk and Szklarka waterfalls — the park's best-known falls.
• Szrenica — a summit above Szklarska Poręba with a chairlift.
• Chojnik Castle — medieval ruins on a crag in Sobieszów, inside the park.

Tickets (as of October 2026)

• One-day ticket PLN 11 (reduced PLN 5.50); two days PLN 20/10; three days PLN 26/13.
• Kamieńczyk Waterfall requires a separate ticket: PLN 16 (reduced PLN 8).
• Free for children under 7, residents of the six neighboring municipalities and holders of Poland's Large Family Card. Students, pensioners and visitors with disabilities pay half price.
• No entry fee on January 16, May 24 and August 10 (except at Kamieńczyk).
• Buy online or at booths at the main trailheads (for example by Vang Stave Church and the Kopa chairlift in Karpacz). In October most booths open around 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Kopa chairlift uphill tickets already include the park fee.

Rules and safety

• Stay on marked trails and hike only in daylight.
• No open fire (including cigarettes and grills), no swimming in lakes or waterfalls, no drones without a permit.
• Dogs must be on a leash and are banned on 34 km of trails, including at Kamieńczyk Waterfall.
• Mountain rescue (GOPR): 985. The park posts a daily trail bulletin with weather warnings and a map of closed trails — check it before you go.

Winter 2026/27 and seasonal closures

In winter several trails close due to avalanche risk, for example around the Small Snowy Cirque, along the Śnieżne Kotły edge and on the Domek Myśliwski–Samotnia section; detours are marked. From March 15 to May 31 some sections close to protect wildlife. In fall 2026 the park also warns visitors to keep away from a damaged dam on the Łomnica stream in Karpacz, and trail-mapping sites report a closure on the trail from Szklarska Poręba Huta to Kamieńczyk Waterfall since June 16, 2026 — confirm on the park's website.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes. It is one of the most accessible high-mountain landscapes in Poland, with excellent trails, historic mountain huts and easy lift access. Weather changes fast: pack layers, water and a charged phone even in summer. On rainy days, the park's nature education center in Sobieszów Palace is a good alternative.