As a true nature enthusiast, I can’t stay away much longer from the exotic natural world. That’s precisely the reason why I keep gravitating back to the Polish mountains from time to time. The good thing about living in Wrocław is, it’s pretty close to the Sudetes and Karkonosze. Mountain trails in the region are adorned with unparalleled scenery, vibrant nature colours year-round, and efficiently managed by the Lower Silesian Tourism authority. Karkonosze Mountains in Poland are high, scenic, obscure, and keep testing hikers from time to time.
After gallivanting through the scenic trails of Karkonosze National Park and hiking to Śnieżka and Śnieżne Kotły, it was time to scale Szrenica, another picturesque mountain peak in the western Karkonosze in Poland.
From the whistle of the forest to the chirping of birds, there is barely any nature sound that you won’t listen to on this trip. Slopes are mostly gentle and gradual, except for the part when you’re closing in the shelter. To reach Jakuszyce, you have to change to the train operated by the Czech Republic Railways. Go for it. Now is the time.
Szklarska Poręba Jakuszyce & Karkonosze – General information
Located 886 m above sea level, Jakuszyce is a popular tourist attraction in Szklarska Poręba. Szklarska Poręba Jakuszyce is popular among outdoor enthusiasts as a top location for winter activities in Poland, with the most popular being cross-country skiing, hiking, and cycling. Even a train ride in this region isn’t a mere train ride. With such beautiful landscapes around, it is nothing less than a winter activity. The weather here remains pleasant year-round, even during the peak of summer, but winter here gets quite extreme.
Karkonosze Mountains lie to the east, and the Izerskie Mountains lie to the west of Jakuszyce. With two large mountain ranges in the vicinity and an abundance of hiking trails, hikers have plenty to choose from. Kamienna river flows through the picturesque town of Jakuszyce, which happens to be a tributary of the Bóbr river. Train enthusiasts can enjoy the scenic ride up to Koleje Izerska in Jakuszyce, the highest railway station in Poland.
In Szklarska Poręba Jakuszyce, Polana Jakuszycka and the Cross-country Skiing Center are the most popular that attract lots of tourists from Poland and across Europe. Owing to the excellent weather conditions, Jakuszyce makes a suitable spot for practising this sport. Polana Jakuszycka also organises international competitions like the Cross-country Skiing World Cup.
How to reach Szklarska Poręba Jakuszyce from Wrocła
Getting to Szklarska Poręba is no big deal since Koleje Dolnośląskie trains operate in tandem from Wrocław to Szklarska Poręba. To get to Szklarska Poręba Jakuszyce, local Czech operated trains from Szklarska Poręba make for the best and quickest option to reach Jakuszyce, which was the starting point of the hike in my case. Optionally, you can also get to Szklarska Poręba Jakuszyce by road.
Distance: 139 km
Travel time: 2 hours 20 minutes
The hiking trail
Szklarska Poręba Jakuszyce to Szrenica to Szklarska Poręba Górna was an 18-km hike in total and took us almost 5 hours 30 minutes to complete.
I will put the trial difficulty level in the moderate category.
Link to the route | Trail: Green-Yellow-Green-Red
The hike from Szklarska Poręba Jakuszyce to Szrenica in Karkonosze
It is summer in Poland, and you can experience the best of Polish nature in the mountains. Karkonosze Mountains and the Izerskie Mountains in the Sudetes have shed the white from winter and are already oozing green. Mountain trails are thriving with life and nature hues. The scent of the forest and the chorus of streams fed by fresh melt ice are relaxing therapy in itself.
Three mountain shelters, several river streams, some leftover winter snow, and lush green outdoors graced our first summer hike turning it into a rejuvenating experience. Karkonosze mountains are absolute love, and offer nature admirers some testing yet super satisfying hiking trails.
Soon after commencing the hike nice and slow, the lush green of the mountains, the sound of the fresh stream, and gradual slopes in the first 7-8 km patch greeted us warmly. Schronisko Szrenica was our first pitstop. With a little bit of rain and a cool mountain breeze, we propelled towards the viewpoint of Szrenica.
We paused for a bit at the mountain shelters during the hike to rest, change, and grab a bite. Schronisko Pod Łabskim Szczytem, the third shelter en route Szklarska Poręba was the same place where we took a break on our way to Śnieżne Kotły this winter. It was a sheer joy to behold the contrasting landscapes and changing colours. Some unbelievable nature views awaited us at the picturesque PTTK Schronisko.
As we continued to Schronisko Pod Łabskim Szczytem, we stumbled upon some gorgeous views of Śnieżne Kotły and Szklarska Poręba town in distance. The leftover snow from the winter on the way made the trail look even fancier.
Only after reaching Schronisko Pod Łabskim Szczytem, I realised how remarkably distinct the surroundings used to be a few months back, when I went there on a winter hike trudging through tons of snow.
Do you remember those dreamy winter views of curled trees on the mountain’s slope in Karkonosze? Back then, most of the trees stayed buried under heaps of ice and snow, which was almost a third (or even less) of the whole tree length, which we saw back in February! Right now, all that snow in the region is gone, and lush green has come back to life.
Even with all the unpredictable weather, scattered rain, surroundings turning cold from time to time, it was fun to hike up to Szrenica and complete the whole trail in 6 hours (approximately). And yes, I finally managed to get a stamp on Książeczka GOT PTTK at the mountain shelters (Schronisko) en route.
Things to keep in mind before the Szklarska Poręba Jakuszyce hike
1. Pack light since it’s just a day hike
2. Given its location and climate in the region, you can expect some leftover snow from the winter lying on the trails
3. Shades and sunscreen lotion are important if you don’t want a sunburn
4. Snacks are good to have while hiking. Since there are plenty of fresh streams crossing the forest, you can carry a filter bottle, and that’s sufficient to filter this natural water which is clean up to much extent
5. Check for the train connections in advance if you’re travelling by car and don’t want to get stuck at a train station overnight
6. Keep a light jacket handy, just in case. Weather in the mountains flips in no time.
Hiking in Polish Mountains is such bliss & these hikes are tailor-made for every outdoor enthusiast. If you’re looking for more recommendation on places to visit near Wrocław, don’t miss: 19 Best Places Near Wrocław For Everyone Planning A Quick Escape From The City
