Piechowice: Waterfall, Glacial Cirques and Trails

Piechowice brings together natural features, trails and buildings with a variety of points of interest. Wodospad Szklarki waterfall and the glacially formed Śnieżne Kotły are complemented by a green hiking trail, challenging mountain biking routes and climbing routes. Other notable features include a tunnel dating from the 1920s, a historic branch church and a yew tree estimated to be more than 500 years old. If you are looking for a hotel in Piechowice, you can plan your trip around nature, outdoor activities or history.

Waterfall and Glacial Landforms

Wodospad Szklarki waterfall is 13.3 metres high and lies within the city limits of Piechowice. Śnieżne Kotły offers a different kind of landscape: these are two well-preserved cirques with distinct glacial landforms in the Karkonosze Mountains; the area lies entirely within the municipality of Piechowice. A cirque is a bowl-shaped landform carved by glaciers. This gives you a choice of two distinct natural features: a single waterfall and a characteristic glacial landform.

Hiking and Mountain Biking

The green Ścieżka nad Reglami hiking trail passes through the floor of Śnieżne Kotły. It runs from the area around the shelter below Łabski Szczyt, via Czarny Kocioł Jagniątkowski, to Przełęcz Karkonoska. The trail thus connects several named sections. If you want to make hiking the focus of your stay, this route offers a distinct option alongside the cycling and climbing routes.

Pasmo Rowerowe Olbrzymy comprises challenging, one-way MTB trails in the municipalities of Jelenia Góra, Piechowice and Podgórzyn. It is aimed at advanced and professional mountain bikers. The western Piechowice loop of Pasmo Rowerowe Olbrzymy runs between Michałowice, Piechowice and Jagniątków and is 19.5 kilometres long. The distinction matters when comparing them: the length and route describe this loop, while the difficulty and intended users refer to the network’s one-way MTB trails.

Climbing and History

Bobrowe Skały is an eight-metre-high rock formation with three climbing routes of varying difficulty. One of the routes has fixed protection points. The information therefore distinguishes between the difficulty of the routes and a specific protection feature on one of them.

A road tunnel, driven through granite rock in the 1920s, lies 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 two structures offer different historical perspectives: the church dates from an earlier period, while the tunnel was built in the 1920s.

A yew tree in Piechowice Dolne is another notable local feature. It grows at Kryształowa 12 and is estimated to be more than 500 years old. The yew’s age is therefore an estimate, while the church and tunnel are each dated by their period of construction.

Discover more destinations: Marczyce, Bukowiec, Ściegny, Dziwiszów, Łomnica, Janowice Wielkie, Komarno, Jelenia Góra

For the broader travel overview: Jeleniogórski.