Mountains & peaks

Śnieżne Kotły

Two glacial cirques beneath the main ridge of the Karkonosze mountains, between Wielki Szyszak and Łabski Szczyt. The Great Snowy Cirque (Wielki Śnieżny Kocioł) drops about 250 m, with walls up to 150 m high; the neighbouring Small Cirque reaches a depth of around 300 m. A nature reserve since 1933, today strictly protected within Karkonosze National Park.

Nature on a giant scale

Pleistocene glaciers carved the cirques into Karkonosze granite, leaving behind moraine ramparts — the tallest about 15 m — and three periodically drying ponds known as Śnieżne Stawki. The Bazaltowy Gully holds the greatest plant diversity in the entire range. The snow saxifrage grows here at its only site in Central Europe, and the cup lichens on the moraines, more than 600 years old, are the oldest living organisms in the mountains.

The first mountain hut of the Karkonosze

In 1837 Count Schaffgotsch built the Schneegrubenbaude above the cirques — the first tourist hut in the Karkonosze. It operated until 1961, when a relay station (RTON) took its place, now a landmark visible from afar. Nearby rises the Czarcia Ambona rock outcrop, with views deep into the cirques.

Planning your hike

The red Main Sudetes Trail runs along the upper rim from both Szklarska Poręba and Karpacz, while the green trail descends to the floor — it is often closed in winter due to avalanche risk. Stay on marked paths: strict protection means leaving the trail is forbidden. Allow half a day for the hike from Karpacz and back, and bring extra layers — the average annual temperature at this altitude hovers around freezing.