The Karkonosze, the Giant Mountains on the border of Poland and the Czech Republic, turn into a true high-mountain world in winter. Snow can lie more than three metres deep, the main ridge is one of the windiest places in Europe, and the summit of Śnieżka rises to 1,603 metres above a sea of white.
The Giant Mountains on the Polish–Czech border
Karkonosze is the Polish name and Krkonoše the Czech one; in English they are the Giant Mountains. The range is the highest part of the Sudetes, and the international border runs along its main east–west ridge. It covers about 631 km², with roughly 454 km² on the Czech side and 177 km² in Poland.
Both sides are protected. Poland's Karkonosze National Park was founded in 1959, and the Czech Krkonoše National Park, the oldest national park in the Czech Republic, followed in 1963. Together they form a UNESCO transboundary biosphere reserve. The River Elbe, one of Central Europe's great rivers, has its source in these mountains.
Snow, wind and weather on the main ridge
For mountains of modest height, the Karkonosze have a famously harsh climate. Weather changes quickly, winters are long and cold, and many areas stay under snow for five to six months a year. On Śnieżka the deepest snow typically comes in March, with an average of around 110 cm at the summit, and the coldest temperature recorded there is −33.9 °C.
Śnieżka sits in fog or cloud, at least partly, on about 296 days a year, and annual precipitation climbs from around 700 mm in the foothills to well over 1,000 mm on the summit. The main ridge is one of the most wind-exposed areas in Europe, and the wind sculpts the snow into the hard, rippled surfaces seen in these photographs.
Śnieżka: the observatory, the chapel and the cable car
Śnieżka (Sněžka in Czech) is the highest point of the range and the highest natural peak in the Czech Republic, at 1,603 m. Its bare, cone-shaped summit is crowned by some of the best-known mountain buildings in Central Europe. On the Polish side stands the disc-shaped meteorological observatory built in 1974, which houses a weather station; its upper disc was damaged in March 2009 and restored to the original design. Next to it is the Chapel of St Lawrence, built between about 1665 and 1681 by the Schaffgotsch family. On the Czech side, a post office and viewing platform opened in 2004.
The summit is reached from both countries. From Karpacz in Poland, many marked trails lead up, and a chairlift to Kopa (1,377 m) cuts out much of the climb. From Pec pod Sněžkou in the Czech Republic, a cable car with four-person cabins has run to the summit since 2014.
Glacial cirques and high peaks
The Karkonosze are built on a granite core more than 300 million years old. During the Ice Age, small glaciers carved six cirques: Łomniczki, Wielki Staw, Mały Staw, Czarny Kocioł, Wielki Śnieżny Kocioł and Mały Śnieżny Kocioł. Their walls rise more than 200 metres, and two of them hold the glacial lakes Wielki Staw and Mały Staw. Beyond Śnieżka, the second-highest Polish summit is Wielki Szyszak at 1,509 m.
Visiting Karpacz and Szklarska Poręba in winter
The two main Polish bases are Karpacz and Szklarska Poręba, both in Lower Silesia near Jelenia Góra. Karpacz spreads between 480 and 885 m above sea level and is known for skiing, its Orlinek ski jump and the Norwegian stave church of Wang, which was moved here from Norway in the 19th century. Its railway line reopened to trains in June 2025. Szklarska Poręba, about 26 km south-west of Jelenia Góra, offers both Alpine and Nordic skiing and has hosted the Bieg Piastów cross-country ski marathon since 1976. On the Czech side, Špindlerův Mlýn, Pec pod Sněžkou and Harrachov are the main resorts.
Dress for wind on the ridge; our layering guide covers the basics. Check the national park's trail and avalanche information before heading above the tree line. For another Czech winter landscape, see Jan Bainar’s frosted Beskydy forest.
Related reading
- Oeschinensee: A Mountain-Lake Visit for the Right Season and Route
- Lapland’s Northern Lights: Folklore, Foregrounds and Uncertain Skies
- Ten Iceland Experiences: Waterfalls, Glaciers, Hot Springs and City Life
- Hallstatt: Lake Views, Salt History and a Living Village
Sources
- Karkonosze National Park: geology and landforms
- Wikipedia: Giant Mountains (Karkonosze/Krkonoše)
- Wikipedia: Sněžka (Śnieżka)
- Wikipedia: Karpacz
- Wikipedia: Szklarska Poręba
- Photographs: Piotr Krzaczkowski, Marcin Jagiellicz, Karol Nienartowicz, Piotr Halka and Guillem Lopez (via Places to See in Your Lifetime).
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