Geotourist trail in the eastern Karkonosze

Walking along the geotourist trail, we can find out the fascinating world of rocks, minerals and landforms of the eastern Karkonosze and learn why Śnieżka is the highest peak in the Sudetes, how the Karkonosze glacier moved, why at the foot of Śnieżka there is a vast plain and where garnets may occur. Roaming the trail, we can become acquainted with the vastness of old glaciers, seen even today in the Łomniczka Cirque, as well as with modern phenomena, such as mud and debris flows, transforming its slopes into soil and stone avalanches in a few minutes. On Równia near Śnieżka we can look at amazing mountain peat bogs, whereas on the Śnieżka’s peak we can find out what a hornfels is – the most resistant to weathering Karkonosze rock. We can also get to know the origins of the Karkonosze granite and what the “rock sea” on the Black Ridge is made of, where mysterious circle of debris occur. Walking down to Karpacz through Sowia Dolina (Owl Valley), we can acquire information about the history of old mining, where secret adits are located and where beautiful minerals – garnets – may occur.

Trail length: approximately 17 km
Number of information stops: 14
1. KNP IC
2. Betonowy Most (Concrete Bridge)
3. The Łomniczka Valley
4. Mud and debris flows
5. The Łomniczka Cirque
6. Równia near Śnieżka
7. Śnieżka’s slopes
8. Śnieżka
9. The Black Ridge
10. Czarna Kopa (Black Pile)
11. Sowia Przełęcz (Owl Pass)
12. Skalny Stół (Rocky Table)
13. Sowia Dolina (Owl Valley)
14. Dolina Płomnica (Płomnica Valley)

The lowest stop: 700 m AMSL
The highest stop: 1602 m AMSL
Drop: 802 m
Completion time: around 8 hours
Itinerary: the trail begins next to the KNP Information Centre in Karpacz, then it goes along the yellow trail to a hostel over the Łomniczka, after that by the red trail through the Łomniczka Cirque to the Mountain Pass at Śnieżka, near Śląski Dom (Silesian House). The next stop is located at the Śnieżka’s peak, then the trail goes along the Black Ridge to the Owl Pass, thence to the Rocky Table and turns back to the Owl Pass and finally, along the black trail and through the Owl Valley, it goes down to Karpacz.