6 tips for trips in the Polish Giant Mountains
Almost everyone (every Czech) has visited the Krkonoše Mountains (Giant Mountains) at least once in their life, so we decided to travel a few kilometres beyond the border and make a trip to the Polish side. The choice fell on the month of June to avoid overcrowding during the holidays, which turned out to be a good idea, because just comparing weekdays vs. weekends it was really an incredible difference.
Accommodation
For three nights I stayed in the village of Sosnowka in the Lake Hill Apartments, which are part of the Lake Hill Resort and Spa. I deliberately chose this type of accommodation so that we could have a separate bedroom and enjoy some peace and quiet after putting the little one to sleep... and wine. The price of less than €88/night included a really good and very rich breakfast and unlimited access to the spa, both located in the main hotel building, while the apartments are a few dozen meters away. The wellness area includes an indoor and outdoor pool, a children's paddling pool, several hot tubs, two saunas and a steam room. In addition, there is also a fitness room, a children's play area or an outdoor playground, or for bigger children a playroom with various machines.
Overall, we had a great experience with Lake Hill - really very nice, stylish accommodation, where the photos are 100% true to reality. Plenty of facilities for families too, very good food and free parking right outside the apartment. The only bugs I could find in the wellness section, where for me the changing rooms lacked enough storage space, plus the sauna area seemed a bit unfinished (no rules, no sheets, no relax zone...). However, these are just minor flaws, the positives outweigh. If you are looking for other accommodation, check here:
- cheap: GARDENIA or Chata Sosnówka Residence - both private accommodation, where you can stay up to €60/night, or classic hotel rooms in Hotel Chojnik or Blue Mountain Resort
- medium: Tremonti Hotel Karpacz or Kazalnica Family&Conference Resort, both of which are roughly comparable to Lake Hill in terms of facilities, price and rating
- luxury: in the form of the five-star Hotel Seidorf or one of the many hotels in renovated Polish castles - e.g. Palac Staniszow or Zámek Karpniki
Trips on the Polish side of the Giant Mountains
1. Prince Henryk Castle
Or also from the Polish, Zamek księcia Henryka, the one we had basically right next to the hotel. It's not a castle as such, it's more just a lookout tower, but it's not a long walk so pretty much anyone can do it. You can leave your car in Zlotý Widok Street at the free parking lot "Parking for guests of Księcia Henryka Castle". From there, after about half a kilometre, you'll reach a fork in the road - the road to the right is longer but gravel, and could probably be driven with a carriage. On the left it is winding, steeper and narrower, but on the other hand shorter, or you can make a circuit. Allow about an hour to get there and back.
At the top of the tower you will find a few tables and benches as a rest area. If you are interested in a tour of the tower, there is a small museum inside and of course a lookout at the top - the entrance fee is 7 zlotys. Henryk Castle also has its official website with opening hours and seasonal events.
2. Kolorowe Jeziorka
A place I've had on my radar for a few years, but the road around it only just came into view. By the way, the opening photo of this article comes from here. The translation is not difficult to decipher, it really is a colored pond specifically four pieces - yellow, red, blue, green. All very accessible on foot. Pyrite was originally minednear Wieściszowice, but in the 20th century mining was stopped, the area began to be swallowed up by forests, the land sank and sank until eventually the quarries were filled with water. Now the ponds are just a popular tourist attraction and you can also peek into several caves (former shafts) in their vicinity. If you can, direct your visit to them in the off-season or at least on the weekend so you don't have to squeeze in the crowds.
Practical: enter Wieściszowice in the navigation and choose any car park you like (all of them are paid), there are plenty of them. The ones closest to the entrance (P1, P2, P3) are of course the quickest to fill up, but it was possible to pay by card here as well. We left our car in one of the private car parks and paid 10 zlotys (cash only), on google maps as Parking 'Kolorowe Jeziorka'. From there you walk to the entrance in about 15 minutes and no more paying, the lakes are free to access. Just after a few meters walk you will see the yellow one and then the red one, both with practically no effort. The blue one, on the other hand, is a bit of a struggle. Because of the roots and stones, you should leave the carriage at home, or you could go around the bike markings and "jog" to the blue pond, but even so, you should be aware that it is not a tarmac road. We skipped the last green lake with a clear conscience, because all the reviews agreed that it was more or less just a pool, which, when contrasted with the blue lake, was more or less disappointing :)
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3. Castle Chojník
A very nice castle ruin between Szklárská Poreba and Jelení Gora, open to the public. You can plan your route either from Sobieszów (red and black markings), Zachelmie (black markings) or Sosnowiec (yellow markings), either way you should expect a walk, because you can't get up the road. We left our car in the aforementioned Sobieszów, in Bronislawa Czecha Street, in a paid parking lot (15 zlotys). The castle is reached by a two-kilometer road (red and then green), where you have absolutely nowhere to get lost. You can only make it more interesting by turning to the black markings - the route is a bit steeper here, but both versions are uphill the whole time, so you will still sweat a lot in the hot summer. And as for the kids, you'd better take a baby carrier, there are enough steps and general curling for a pram.
I would also like to point out that since you will be entering the Krkonoše National Park, you will have to pay a small fee. Yes yes, there is an entrance fee on the Polish side of the Giant Mountains, but don't worry, nothing drastic - 9 zlotys per day for an adult. Honestly, I think it should be introduced here as well, to at least partially limit those individuals who can't behave in nature. But back to Chojnik. If you don't want to invest any more money in this trip, you can stay in the forecourt where there is a pub and some souvenirs. But if you sacrifice 10 zlotys as an entrance fee to the castle, you can freely walk through the whole castle and most importantly enjoy the beautiful views from the tower. For me it was worth it.
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4. Szklarki waterfall
A short and easy stop suitable for families with children (even with a pram)... if you just want to check out the waterfall, and not take one of the many hiking trails in this area. The free parking lot is located just off the main Jeleniogorská road, and after crossing the bridge over the Kamienna River, you'll again have to choose the entrance fee to the Krkonoše NP (9 zloty/day, or you have a ticket left over after visiting Chojník). Either way, it will take you only a few minutes to reach the 13-metre waterfall and the mountain hut Kochanówka (refreshments/souvenirs).
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5. Ptasi Park ZOObaczysko
Originally it was just supposed to be a variety of the trip for Nina, but in the end we all had fun feeding the birds :) This is a small zoo focused on bird species, where even most of the birds are free to roam and you can give them a treat from your hand - especially the parrots and special species of chickens and pigeons. Cages and aviaries then feature birds of prey, owls and more. Admission for an adult comes to 32 zloty (discounted 28 zloty, children under 3 don't pay), parking is free. At the entrance, you will then receive a small cup with food, which you can hand out at your discretion to interested animals. How much time you spend here is entirely up to you, but for us it was a very pleasant visit and we would happily do it again in the future.
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6. Kamienczyka waterfall
The last tip is again a waterfall... slightly cut by a gorge, but really only very slightly. Overall this trip was a bit of a disappointment for me, which was largely due to the total overcrowding. Unfortunately, the trip to the highest waterfall in the Polish Giant Mountains fell on a Sunday, when it was really hard to find a free parking space and the forest road leading to the destination became a regular Wenceslas Square.
So what are the options? Either you park in Szklárska Poreba and follow the red marking of the Glówny Szlak Sudecki, counting about 2.6 km in one direction. Or you can leave your car just outside the town (Szosa Czeska road) at one of the other official paid parking lots, and the route will be slightly shorter and you will only lose the section running along the road. With this option it throws some roughly 3 km there and back and the parking fee came to 20 zloty for 2 hours. From the parking lot it's uphill to the waterfall on a rather rocky path - i.e. wear some comfortable sneakers, no flip flops, and for smaller kids take a carrier instead of a stroller.
At the waterfall, you then have to decide whether to go into the gorge and see it from below or settle for just a glimpse from the viewing platform, which is free. The gorge is charged at 12 zlotys per adult and you must wear a protective helmet when entering. As I outlined in the introduction, I think the term "gorge" is a bit of an exaggeration, as you'll have to descend a short flight of stairs and then walk about 15 metres along a metal walkway. At the end you take a photo and return the same way back to hand your helmet to another excited hiker. At the top free viewpoint, there is refreshment in a mountain hut or in a stylish shepherd's hut.
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