Sudety Wałbrzyskie Landscape Park

Sudety Wałbrzyskie Landscape Park (Park Krajobrazowy Sudetów Wałbrzyskich, roughly "PAHRK krah-yo-brah-ZOH-vee soo-DEH-tuv vahw-BZHIS-kikh") is a quiet mountain park south of the city of Wałbrzych in Lower Silesia, southwestern Poland. It covers the highest part of the Stone Mountains (Góry Kamienne), the western Dry Mountains (Góry Suche) and the eastern Wałbrzych Mountains. If you are looking for things to do in the Sudetes without the crowds of the Karkonosze, this park offers forest hikes, rock formations, views toward the Czech Republic and the historic spa village of Sokołowsko.

Where it is and how to get there

The park lies in the Central Sudetes, close to the Czech border; to the south it meets the Czech protected landscape area Broumovsko. Wałbrzych is roughly 70 km from Wrocław, the main gateway city with an international airport, and you can reach the park from there by car via Głuszyca or Mieroszów. Parking is available near the PTTK hut Andrzejówka and in Sokołowsko, but it fills up on weekends. Check train and bus timetables before you go, since rural connections are limited.

What makes it special

The park was established in 1998 and covers 64.93 square kilometers (about 25 square miles), with a 28.94 km² buffer zone. Its highest point is Waligóra (936 m / 3,071 ft). It has no nature reserves, but it protects a dozen or so natural monuments, mostly rock formations such as Czerwone Skałki ("red rocklets"), Małpia Skała ("Monkey Rock"), Stożek Wielki, Szczeliny Wiatrowe and Zamkowa Góra.

What to see and do

• Waligóra – the highest peak of the park and a full-day hike from the Andrzejówka side.
• Andrzejówka mountain hut – a PTTK shelter in a meadow with a view of Waligóra, popular as a trailhead.
• Rock formations – Czerwone Skałki, Małpia Skała and the other natural monuments, often reached by short detours from the main trails.
• Przełęcz Trzech Dolin (Three Valleys Pass) – a junction of trails between the ridges.
• Sokołowsko – a village at the foot of the Dry Mountains with an unusual history, described below.

Sokołowsko: the "Silesian Davos"

Sokołowsko was called Görbersdorf when it belonged to Prussia and later Germany. In 1855 Dr. Hermann Brehmer opened here the first specialized tuberculosis sanatorium, using climate and diet therapy, and the village became known as the "Silesian Davos". Its fame helped inspire the Davos center founded in 1868. After 1945 the village was renamed after Alfred Sokołowski, a collaborator of Brehmer. The sanatorium burned down in 2005, and since 2007 the In Situ Foundation has been rebuilding it as an international culture laboratory. In the village you can also see the Orthodox Church of St. Michael the Archangel from the early 20th century, the neo-Gothic Friedenstein lookout pavilion on Włostowa hill and historic wooden houses on Główna Street. Summer festivals include Konteksty and, in September, the Hommage à Kieślowski film festival.

How to explore

Plan half a day for Waligóra from Andrzejówka, and an extra hour for Sokołowsko's sights. Trails are usually quieter than in the Karkonosze, but autumn and winter bring mud and early sunsets. Download an offline map, because mobile coverage in the valleys can be weak. Signs are in Polish, and English is not guaranteed at the hut.

Practical information (as of October 2026)

The park is open year-round, with no gates and no entry fee. Information is provided by the Lower Silesian Landscape Parks Complex (DZPK), whose Wrocław office is at ul. Puszczykowska 10, tel. +48 71 364 27 58, wroclaw@dzpk.pl. Prices in Polish zloty (PLN) and opening hours for the hut and attractions in Sokołowsko should be checked with their operators. Is it worth visiting? Yes, especially if you enjoy quiet trails and unusual history.

Nearby

Nearby are Waligóra in the Stone Mountains, the Old Mine in Wałbrzych, Książ Castle and the Książ Landscape Park.