Karkonosze

The two-week period off work is drawing to a close, time is up to share some snaps from a yet another foray to Dolny Śląsk and to Czech Republic. It has been a long-awaited trip, taken after 11 months without holidays (chasing the promotion, getting things done in my previous position, then shaking down in the new role), a time which has borne brunt on me and left me in deep fatigue.

Although places where I stayed were familiar with me, I aimed to conquer some new venues located higher above sea level. The first surprise on my was the paved over trail from Szklarska Poręba towards Szrenica. Cobblestone was laid here in 2025 in pursuit of making it accessible to the disabled and childminders with prams. I am in two minds about the development. On one hand more visitors might take it, on the other, it has lost part of its character.

Flat or nearly flat are most trails on top of Karkonosze. Here a shot from a brisk trekking between Szrenica and Śnieżne Kotły, some 1,400 metres above sea level. Note dwarf flora typical for such altitudes. High above temperature was 10 Celsius degrees below +25C recorded at that time in valleys.

Śnieżne Kotły is a rocky basin famous for snow lingering in northern crevices even until July. This year, despite snowy winter, the range of snow strips is far smaller than average which means what was there on 25 May might have melted by now.

When snows melt, Nordic skiing routes close to Jakuszyce become perfect cycling trails. Here, one of the landmarks one can pass – a rundown stone processing plant between Szklarska Poręba and Jakuszyce. Those are just ruins, but without them the area would lose part of its charm.

Cesky Raj (literally the Bohemian Paradise) is nature reservoir full of rock formations, located some 60 kilometres from the Polish border. Breathtaking, worth visiting over a longer weekend, since the formations are scattered around several spots in the area and some have historic castles on top of them.

Harrachov, a village known for ski-jumping competitions and being a skiing resort, in the summer is not a major attraction. Trails in forests east of it are enjoyable, yet boring. Note the central spot of Harrachov was anything, but chock full of people (on a working day in late May).

I (proudly) shy away from having an account on Instagram, but can tell you the building close to the Pravcicka Brana is an exemplary “instaspot”. You march uphill a few kilometres to snap this picturesque edifice, look around and tick it off as “popped by”. Some visitors (including me) also take hats down to builders who erected this building in a place with virtually no access from a regular road.

The very Brana (in English, a gate) is an amazing natural rock formation, here clumsily snapped by me, as I had set sharpness on a mountain in the distance which resembles a dormant volcano. Pay attention to trees growing on top of rocks, proving might of the nature.

Zamek (castle) Chojnik is a venue to which the ascent was the shortest, with elevation gain of mere 300 metres. Strong wind has precluded me from scrambling up the castle’s tower, but from a terrace beneath it, one can contemplate the panorama of Jelenia Góra: Sobieszów in the foreground, Cieplice Śląskie Zdrój further behind, the city centre in the distance.

For a dessert, another proper climb, to Śnieżka (literally: the snow hill), the highest peak of Karkonosze, 1,602 (some sources quote 1,603 or 1,605) metres above sea level. Started out from Karpacz, on altitude of 700 metres above sea level and amble with green and then blue trail, to pass by all scenic mountain huts on the way towards Śnieżka. Samotnia (literally: hermitage) is the most legendary one, located in a basin, photographed (by me again, clumsily) from above, with a pond next to it.

Strzecha Akademicka (literally: scholars’ thatch) further up the trail looks the least splendid of the huts en route to Śnieżka, maybe for that reason I did not witness crowds hanging around outside it.

Dom Śląski in turn looks much better on photographs. As one approaches it, the yellow facade strikes with sleaziness. The past-German spirit of the place of spoilt by solar panels (OZE-srOZE) on the roof. To the left – a proper 4WD pickup in a place, where its presence and use is justified. Toilet payable, PLN 4 (or CZK 30) with cash only.

The last snap is one of several views from the top of Śnieżka. The summit is free of clouds or precipitation only for some 60 days in a year and in mid-May there was some fresh snow there. I consider myself lucky, as the weather was fine enough not to put on a jacket kept in a rucksack just in case.

Off to Wrocław in business tomorrow. The upcoming three weeks will be bring travels to places located between 350 and 600 kilometres from Warsaw, hence I am likely to be sick of moving about for a while.

Nordic Skiing

Back from my first winter holidays (other than in a warmer place) ever. And back from an invigorating experience of acquiring a new skill from scratch. As a 35-year-old man I wore ski for the first time in my life, which was a kind of scary, yet thrilling. The originator of the trip was my girlfriend, since over 5 years a keen ski-runner. Once the school winter holiday were over, we headed for Szklarska Poręba, a favourite destination of ski-runners in Poland.

Dolny Śląsk is my favourite province of Poland, having its spirit regardless of the season of the year. I ventured there in 2019, 2015, 2013 and in 2009 (this reminds me PES will turn 15 in less than a year) and I am quite likely to return there more often. 

The drive (within speed limits) to Szklarska Poręba takes some 5 hours door-to-door and (sadly) beats the train connection, whose duration is nine hours, if you choose a direct connection. But if you choose the train and get off at Szklarska Poręba Górna station, such splendid view will be the reward for the length of the ride. The highest mountain to the right is Szrenica. Pay attention to the weather – during 5 out of 7 days of our stay we enjoyed clear blue skies and temperature fluctuations from around –10C at nights to close to 0C in early afternoon. The snow had fallen just before our arrival.

Szklarska Poręba is hilly and full of contracts. Many blocks of flats for rent have been built in the recent decade, but run-down old buildings are still in abundance – the one snapped to the right could be turned into a jewel, if properly renovated.

Now a shot for train anoraks, with Newag-built Koleje Dolnośląskie train. Szklarska Poręba Górna is where trains from Wrocław, Warszawa and Liberec terminate. Trains to Wrocław and to Liberec (via Jakuszyce and Harrachov) run once an hour, but long-distance services from the capital can be spotted there only twice a day.

Such enchanting encounter with the nature was probably meant to enchant me. Crisp snow, with ski tracks prepared, forest, sunshine. I am far from the civilisation, far from work, far from things which bother me.

I must confess I had had plans to learn Nordic skiing in Warsaw, but recent winters rarely brought a sufficient deep snow surface and eventually I ended up moving on skis for the first time on 27 February 2023. I took a private lesson with an instructor, which was definitely a good choice. In my age catching the coordination of body movements and learning to keep the balance takes a bit and has turned out not as easy as it seemed. Besides, I had to overcome my fear of not having control of how I slide on skis (no matter how slow my motion was). Over five days I grasped the basics of two styles and trained braking, the effects of which I still feel on backside. I fell over several times, but was fortunate not to have an injury. The next skiing experience is due next winter, I hope not to forget the skills learnt this year by then.