Szklarska Poręba is known as the centre of winter and summer sports in the Giant Mountains, not only from the radio or television. Picturesquely located, on the border of the Giant Mountains National Park, it is famous for its interesting, amazingly shaped rocks, waterfalls, attractive tourist and bicycle routes, places worth seeing and truly admirable. Real pleasure is walking in the mountains, not only in the Giant Mountains, but also in the picturesque Jizera Mountains - separated from the Giant Mountains by the Szklarska Przełęcz Pass. Straight from the centre of Szklarska Poręba, there leads the trail to Szrenica (1362 m above sea level), further to Łabski Szczyt, Śnieżne Kotły, and then to Śnieżka (1602 m above sea level), the highest, the windiest peak of the Giant Mountains. In the Jizera Mountains, don’t forget to visit the unique Astro-Trail to watch the stars.
An must-see for every tourist visiting the town of Szklarska Poręba and its surroundings are two waterfalls, known throughout Poland (but not only), namely the Szklarka Waterfall and Kamieńczyk Waterfall together with the picturesque Raven Rocks (Krucze Skały), located near the town centre. Having seen the Forest Waterfall (Wodospad Leśny) once, you’ll never forget this view. Would you guess the waterfalls of Szklarska Poręba often play supporting roles in many feature and fantasy films? Unique as they are, remember they’re merely a part of the Karkonosze National Park. Countless places for rock climbing and rope parks are a paradise for small and adult amateurs of this sport. For families, there’s a whole bunch of places to enjoy. The Discovery Park - the highest rope park, Trollandia Rope Park, DinoPark or Esplanda Adventure Park are the city's landmarks. You can climb, explore, jump, breathe science in and even look for gold or go to the 6D cinema. An unquestionable advantage of Szklarska Poręba is the railway connection with Jelenia Góra. Traveling by train provides opportunity to admire picturesque landscapes and steep descents.
Don’t forget to visit the so called Golden View (Złoty Widok) to see, as they say, the most beautiful panorama of the Giant Mountains. The interesting and well-known rock construction called Chybotek or the Leaning Towers (Krzywe Wieże) are quite fascinating, too! Probably every driver has heard about Death Bend (Zakręt Śmierci) in Szklarska Poręba, a place which should be avoided. Your children will simply adore the Forest Glassworks (Leśna Huta Szkła) where during a magical glass melting show, they shall learn all about this old craftsmanship, racing now down into oblivion. Another must-see on your list are the Sarcophagus of the Guardian Rübezahl (Sarkofag Liczyrzepy) or the Mountain Spirit Park (Park Ducha Gór), inseparably connected with this place. The Garden of Sculptures (Ogród Rzeźb), i.e. a ceramic sculpture gallery, and the Medieval Treasure Hunters' Settlement (Osada Średniowiecznych Poszukiwaczy Skarbów ) are the essence of the local attractions, as treasures have always been sought in this town, with their beauty entwined with the shine of glass and ceramics. Ski runs for joggers in Jakuszyce and artificially snowed down slopes in Szklarska Poręba are well-known places for winter sports. In summer, you can also try tobogganing on the Alpine Coaster or visit one of the Szklarska Poręba museums: the Mineralogical Museum (Muzeum Mineralogiczne), the Energy Museum (Muzeum Energetyki), the Gerhart Hauptmann Museum (Muzeum Gerharta Hauptmanna) or the Walloon Hut (Chata Walońska).
Attractions near Szklarska Poręba Have you heard about the Valley of Palaces and Gardens (Dolina Pałaców i Ogrodów)? It’s the so called Jelenia Góra Valley (Kotlina Jeleniogórska), located in the southern – eastern part of the Lower Silesia, a rarity on the world scale. You can find here many renovated palaces and noble mansions. The 19th century residences, Gothic castles, Renaissance manors and fortified towers are particularly worth of your attention. Many of them are upmarket hotels now with elegant SPA zones, surrounded by beautiful landscape parks with all the possible richness of flora and panoramas. These pearls of architecture will surely conquer the hearts of connoisseurs, since the lion’s share of them has been made available for sightseeing. Let us name the Wojanów Palace, Paulinum Palace in Jelenia Góra or Brunów Palace near Lwówek Śląski as an example.
If palaces, then castles, too! A true star of the region is the famous Chojnik Castle where the notorious castellan’s daughter, Kunigunde, murdered one knight after another, all of them trying in win to win her hand in marriage. The spirit of Middle Ages is still strong here, as if the past lived up to the present. No doubt, the Chojnik Castle in Sobieszów is a must-see for all the hikers who are brave enough to cross the Bandit Rocks (Zbójnickie Skały) and steep hills turning into cliffs. Admittedly, the castle had never been conquered, but it was still defeated by thunderbolt. From the viewpoint tower, there’s a breathtaking view of the Giant Mountains and Jelenia Góra Valley. You’ll find here so many attractions and places worth visiting, one would never reach the end of the list. The Gerhart Hauptmann Museum in Jagniątkowo is a villa belonging once to a German writer, Noble prize winner from 1912. Nowadays, the building serves as a department of the City Museum in Jelenia Góra – a city which is very beautiful, but still much underestimated. With numerous palaces and castles around, with the beautiful Old Town and City Hall Square and lots of charming tenement houses, it certainly deserves some attention. Jelenia Góra offers you also many biking routes where the Olympic Champion, Maja Włoszczowska, trained since the very childhood. This city as also a resort part, and therefore, Cieplice Śląskie Zdrój, with the lovely Health Resort Park and Norwegian Park. In the Cieplice Thermal Baths, you can enjoy the richness of healing waters. Another obligatory point of your trip is the Kowary Town, once famous for the production of carpets. At present, the place invites you to explore the post-Hitler uranium drifts where history reaches far away into the past and the air is surprisingly pleasant to breathe in.
One cannot miss the Miniature Park of Lower Silesia Monuments (Park Miniatur Zabytków Dolnego Śląska) where most of these amazing buildings mentioned above have been meticulously reconstructed. On the way back to the Magnum Apartments, go to the Crystal Glassworks "Julia" in Piechowice which enjoyed the peak of its popularity one century ago when the crystals could be found in every house. Currently, glass is produced here for exclusive customers who value true craftsmanship. If they wish, visitors can admire metallurgists at work, feeling the heat of furnace on their faces. Being on vacation in Szklarska Poręba, you should definitely pop out to the Czech Republic for a while. Amidst all these cities, towns and attractions, you will discover a completely different attitude many things. You’ll taste a whole myriad of various delicacies and breathe in a different climate. Harrachov, located barely a hop or two away, is worth your attention, too. It’s just a few kilometres away from Szklarska Poręba. The famous ski jumps, on which Adam Małysz jumped, are just one of the necessary points of the trip. There are plenty of attractions to enjoy - apart from the Czech calmness – namely, salt caves, waterfalls, rope parks, swimming pools, a golf course, tennis courts, squash hall, bowling alley, ice rink and numerous ski trails. The truest of their pride are the Glass Museum (Muzeum Szkła) and the Mining Museum (Muzeum Górnictwa). There is also an old Glass Factory and the well-known Browar Restaurant Novosad. All visitors to Harrachov must necessarily taste the Czech draught beer, dumplings or fried cheese. For children, there is the merry Mole waiting, there is the Rock City near Teplice nad Metují (Skalne Miasto koło Teplic nad Metują), a great attraction to be sure. It is a fantastic stone labyrinth among rocks carved by the forces of nature. One year after another, numerous tourists stroll along the trails located between high stones, rising several metres above the ground. Most of the rocks are sandstones overgrown with vegetation typical of the Table Mountains (Góry Stołowe). There are numerous waterfalls hidden among the rocks of the Rock City, as well as paths and hills with various degrees of difficulty. And we shouldn’t forget the path in the treetops in Janske Lazne, a viewpoint tower in the middle of the forest, available to each and every visitor. The Czechs built it for disabled people, wheelchair children and all those who normally cannot climb up high to admire the Giant Mountains. We also recommend visiting the ZOO in Liberec, the oldest zoological garden in the Czech Republic where you can admire hundreds of interesting species. So, heading for holidays? Only to Szklarska Poręba!
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