Borowa Observation Tower

For years Borowa was a summit with no view – and an underrated one too: the neighbouring Chełmiec was included in the Crown of Polish Mountains because, when it was measured, the instruments had been placed on a tower. Only a correction showed that Borowa is about 3 metres higher. Since 14 December 2017 a steel observation tower has stood on the highest peak of the Wałbrzych Mountains (853 m), reopening the panorama of the Sudetes.

A summit that grew over

Borowa, also called Góra Czarna (German: Schwarzer Berg), lies on the boundary between Wałbrzych and Jedlina-Zdrój and is the highest point of both towns. Its Polish name was officially introduced in 1949. Until the early 1990s the summit had a clearing with a view, but over time it became overgrown with spruce and the panorama vanished. In the second half of the 20th century a wooden triangulation tower with an observer's platform stood here. The mountain is built of volcanic rocks – red rhyolites and dark trachybasalts (melaphyres) – and lies within the Sudety Wałbrzyskie Landscape Park.

The tower and the view

The tower is over 16 m high, built of steel, wood and concrete in a shape reminiscent of an hourglass; a spiral staircase leads to the platform. In good weather you can see Wielka Sowa, the Ślęża massif, Śnieżka and even Wrocław's Sky Tower. Next to the tower there is a wooden shelter, benches, bike racks and information boards. Admission is free.

Crown of the Sudetes

Borowa belongs to the Crown of the Sudetes, the Crown of the Polish Sudetes and the Crown of Lower Silesian Mountains. According to measurements by scientists from AGH University in Kraków, neighbouring Chełmiec is 850.0 m high – yet it is Chełmiec that appears in the Crown of Polish Mountains.

Tripto tip

Routes to the top include a trail from Wałbrzych Główny station over Borowa to Kozia Pass, and the route from Kozia Pass up the steep "Path of Torment" (Ścieżka przez mękę) – the hardest, stony ascent, so wear good boots. Jedlina-Zdrój makes the most convenient base. Allow 2–3 hours up and down, and pick a clear day – in haze you will not see Śnieżka or Wrocław. In winter the tower stairs may be icy.