Piechowice: Waterfall, cirques and architectural history

In Piechowice, striking natural features, active pursuits and architectural history come together. Wodospad Szklarki is 13.3 meters high; Śnieżne Kotły comprises two well-preserved cirques with pronounced glacial features. Other highlights include a granite tunnel from the 1920s, a church dating from the early 16th century, as well as hiking trails, climbing routes and mountain bike trails. You can therefore choose where to stay based on whether you want to focus your trip on nature, activity or cultural history.

Waterfall, cirques and hiking trail

Wodospad Szklarki lies within the city limits of Piechowice and is 13.3 meters high. Śnieżne Kotły lies entirely within the municipality and consists of two well-preserved cirques with pronounced glacial features. A cirque is a bowl-shaped landform created by glaciers. The waterfall and cirques therefore represent different natural features: one is a single waterfall, while the others are landforms shaped by the Ice Age.

The green Ścieżka nad Reglami hiking trail runs through the floor of Śnieżne Kotły. It leads from the area around the mountain hut below Łabski Szczyt, via Czarny Kocioł Jagniątkowski, to Przełęcz Karkonoska. The route makes the glacial landscape itself part of the hiking experience: it passes through the cirques and has several named waypoints. This makes it possible to describe the hike by its route without treating it as a trip to a single destination.

Rock climbing and mountain biking

At Bobrowe Skały, an eight-meter-high rock formation with three climbing routes of varying difficulty is described. One of the routes has fixed protection points. The characteristics of the individual routes are therefore more informative when assessing the climbing area than the height of the rock formation alone: the routes vary in difficulty, and the fixed protection points belong to one route.

Pasmo Rowerowe Olbrzymy comprises challenging one-way MTB trails in the municipalities of Jelenia Góra, Piechowice and Podgórzyn. They are aimed at advanced and professional mountain bikers. The western Piechowice loop within this trail network runs between Michałowice, Piechowice and Jagniątków and is 19.5 kilometers long. This provides several useful reference points for planning bike rides: the trail network is defined by its difficulty and one-way layout, while the western loop has a specifically stated route and length.

Architectural history and an ancient yew

A road tunnel driven through granite rock in the 1920s is located on the winding road between Piechowice and Michałowice. In Piastów stands the Gothic-Baroque branch church of Bożego Ciała, built in the early 16th century. The buildings thus belong to very different periods: the church dates from a considerably earlier period than the tunnel.

A natural feature also has a precise location: a yew estimated to be more than 500 years old grows at Kryształowa 12 in Piechowice Dolne. Its age remains an estimate, while its location is specified down to the district and street address. Together with the waterfall, glacial features and routes, the tree adds to the range of subjects you can explore when planning a trip to Piechowice.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Janowice Wielkie, Milków, Szklarska Poręba, Zachełmie, Łomnica, Stara Kamienica, Miedzianka, Staniszów

Go to the main travel overview: Jeleniogórski.