Kopaniec: Views and cultural history

In Kopaniec, landscape landmarks and traces of history sit side by side. When planning your trip, you can therefore first decide whether to focus more on views and trails or on church architecture and archaeological sites.

Viewpoints and heights

Kozia Szyja is a viewpoint at 748 metres above sea level. The summit lies in the eastern part of the Kamienicki Ridge and rises above Kopaniec. Views can be enjoyed from the meadows near Kozia Szyja and from the upper sections of the asphalt road. To the south, the view reaches the High Ridge of the Jizera Mountains, with Wysoki Kamień and Izerskie Garby, as well as across the Karkonosze Mountains from Śnieżka to Szrenica. To the north, the panorama takes in the Jizera foothills, including the Stara Kamienica and Kopaniec depression, the Kaczawskie Mountains, and Jelenia Góra. This northern panorama is almost 180 degrees wide and extends for over 50 kilometres.

Popiel, at 530 metres above the church in Kopaniec, offers a different perspective: from there, the view stretches across the village, the Kamienicki Ridge, and parts of the Karkonosze Mountains. Młyniec is a granite gneiss rock, several metres high, on the northeastern slope of Popiel, on the bank of the Kamionka. This is where Kopaniec begins. The rock offers a view of the valley and the highest part of the village, especially in winter. While Kozia Szyja offers a wide panorama across several mountain ranges, the described views from Popiel and Młyniec focus more on the village and its valley.

Trails through Kopaniec

One route description, about 13 kilometres long, runs from Zimna Przełęcz via Bobrowe Skały, Polana Czarownic, Kopaniec and Kozia Szyja, as well as Jastrzębiec and the ruins of Leopoldsbaude, to Rozdroże Izerskie. The trail passes through Kopaniec between Polana Czarownic and Kozia Szyja. The listed blue trail from Mirsk to Świeradów-Zdrój also passes through the village. The green circular route “Obwodnica jeleniogórska” also runs through Kopaniec; it is 104 kilometres long. The two routes with stated distances therefore differ considerably in length: about 13 kilometres versus 104 kilometres. Check current trail conditions before setting out.

Historic traces in the village

The Church of St Anthony is a parish church and is closed. The first church in Kopaniec is mentioned in 1399; the present Church of St Anthony was built in the early 16th century. Its exterior facade features 18th-century Baroque epitaphs to the Menzel, Geyers, and Hartmann families. The mausoleum of Jan Samuel Braun, Kopaniec’s first Protestant pastor, stands on the southwest side of the church. The chancel is covered by a star vault with sandstone ribs. Together, these details offer insight into different aspects of the building: its early history in the village, the Baroque memorials on the facade, and the distinctive ceiling structure in the chancel.

Other historic sites and objects add to this picture. The cemetery in Kopaniec contains the tomb chapel of J. S. Brenna. A medieval pottery kiln is located at Kopaniec 145. There are three historic advertising columns in the village; the “Caspar” oak is designated a natural monument. Kamienne Wały is considered a mysterious archaeological site that requires further investigation. These features range from a specific building to an archaeological site and a designated natural landmark.

Kopaniec’s development as a summer resort is also part of its history: at the end of the 19th century, the village used radon-containing springs. The Kamienickie Wzgórza landscape and nature complex is subject to a time-specific classification: according to information as of 30 June 2017, it was one of the four forms of protection in the Kopaniec area.

Discover more destinations: Karpacz, Łomnica, Jeżów Sudecki, Kowary, Zachełmie, Janowice Wielkie, Szklarska Poręba, Trzcińsko.

Go to the main travel overview: Jeleniogórski.