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Karpacz

Karpacz is a ski resort and spa town in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship region of southwestern Poland. The resort's importance in terms of tourism is gradually rising – holiday-goers are starting to perceive it as an alternative to the Alps. Karpacz has around 8,000 inhabitants. It attracts mostly mountain hikers and skiers. It is enclosed by the majestic Karkonosze mountains. The town is situated at 480-885 metres above sea level. Mount Sniezka, the highest peak in the Giant Mountains part of the Sudetes range, is located to the south of Karpacz on the Czech border. It is 1602 m high. It is also the highest point in the Czech Republic.

There is a Norwegian stave church in Upper Karpacz, known as the Wang temple. This 13th century wooden church has a beam and post construction typical of Scandinavian temples. The wall frames are filled with vertical planks. The design combines Nordic tradition with elements of Roman architecture. The temple was moved here from Vang, Norway in the mid-1800s.

Karpacz is in Lomnica Valley near the Lomnica river. This river is not very wide, but it is quite steep. The main street extending through 7 km of the town rises to an elevation of 820 m. The town offers a wide variety of recreational activities both in summer and winter.

Atop Sniezka there is a hostel, the Baroque chapel of St. Wawrzyniec, and a meteorological station. The hostel is considered the symbol of the town and the region. It was built in 1975.

The town was first recorded in history in 1599 in relation to lead and iron mining. It gained fame as a popular winter destination after 1895, the year it got its first railroad. It connected Karpacz to Maylawkowice through Milkow. More than 2000 tourists arrived in Karpacz every day, and train tickets were sold out and had to be bought in advance. In its later history the town was associated with the development of metallurgy and the advent of tourism. At this time several hotels, guest houses, hostels and other accommodations burgeoned throughout the city. At the present the town's accommodation base consists of 11 000 buildings, including bed and breakfasts, youth hostels, and mid-range to luxury hotels.

Karpacz was granted city rights in 1960. Before that it was a group of small villages. Ore mining has facilitated development of the area. More and more forests were cut down to facilitate mining, and as a result many new settlements developed in the surroundings.

In 1800 King Fredrick Wilhelm III of Prussia visited Karpacz and hiked to the summit of the Sniezka. This event marked the beginning of tourism in the area. Karpacz was the first town to begin developing winter sports activities with commercial aims after WWII. It hosted competitive sports events in order to launch tourism.

Amateur walkers will enjoy any of the numerous routes in the Karkonosze Mountains, especially the route going up to the top of the Sniezka. The town is an excellent starting point for trips due to the presence of many well marked routes, which have been graded in order of difficulty for the convenience of walkers and hikes. All these routes lead to the Karkonosze Mountains. For example, there is one that will take you to the peak of the Sniezka in less than 3.5 hours.

The Karpacz region enjoys optimal snow conditions until late spring, sometimes until April. The long skiing routes and wide variety of slopes ensure ideal conditions for skiers. There is a well-developed network of chair lifts, ski-lifts and ski-runs. Slopes are available for experts, intermediates, beginners, and children. Drag lifts and ski rentals are also at skiers' disposal. The town offers an ice skating rink and ski jump facilities. Orlinek ski jump once hosted championships, in which contesters like Adam Malysz have taken part. You can admire the scenic surroundings from the ski jump during the summer.

If you want a break from skiing you can go visit the Sports and Tourism Museum of the Karkonosze region. It will shed light on Karpacz's past as a mining town and a place where a variety of herbs can be found.

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