Discover Wonderful Karpacz Poland Travel Guide

Karpacz Poland Travel Guide

Karpacz Poland Travel Guide
Karpacz Poland Travel Guide

Sitting in the shadow of Mount Sniezka (1,603 m), the highest summit in the Sudetes, Karpacz is one of Poland’s most popular and entertaining mountain holiday resorts. Listed among the “winter capitals of Poland”, it draws more visitors than its permanent inhabitants. It’s desirable for outdoor types. Not only skiers but also hikers. Another asset of the town is its proximity to Karkonosze National Park, which has plenty of hiking areas to explore.

This little town, or rather a large village, lacks any central area. Situated along a 10 km long winding road, it consists of two parts: Karpacz Dolny (Lower Karpacz) where most hotels, pensions, and eating venues are, and Karpacz Gorny (Upper Karpacz), a collection of holiday homes.

When visiting this town, it might be an idea to pay a visit to the unusual, though small Toy Museum. But the real treat is the unique 13th-century Lutheran Wang Chapel. You find it halfway between the town and Mount Sniezka. Constructing this wooden structure didn’t need a single nail.

The town makes a perfect base for hiking excursions to Karkonosze National Park, to the south of the city. From here six different trails lead to Mount Sniezka, the most obvious aim for most walkers, as well as several ski lifts and a chairlift.

Apart from beautiful lakes, waterfalls, and rock formations, the distinctive feature of the Karkonosze landscape includes the kotly (cirques). These are enormous cavities carved by glaciers during the ice age and edged with sheer rocks. There are half a dozen of them on the Polish side of the Sudetes.

 

A Short History of Karpacz Poland

St Wawrzyniec Chapel Karpacz
St Wawrzyniec Chapel Karpacz

The origins of the town go back to the end of the 14th century, for it was then that mining of iron ore, silver, and gold began in the Sowia Valley. Archaeological research allows us to suppose that before that the area was penetrated by those combing the mountains in search of precious jewels.

In the vicinity, on the slope of Mount Grabowiec, there was a place of pagan worship. Other such centers were within today’s Karpacz.

On the site of today’s city, settlements based on metallurgy developed, with both smelters and wood-cutters who produced charcoal from the wood of the surrounding forests. As recently as a century ago, Karpacz was still a mining center of considerable size.

The 17th-century St Wawrzyniec chapel emerged on Mount Sniezka. Besides the inhabitants of the nearby settlements, over time more and more pilgrims from territories further away would come to the chapel to pray. Czech Protestants escaping persecution during the Thirty Year’s War stayed on, thus giving rise to dissenters settling in the area. Czechs contributed to the creation and development of the appreciated center of mountain folk medicine.

Karpacz skiing resort
Karpacz skiing resort

Growth of tourism

The rapid growth of tourism did not begin until after 1895 when the town got a railway connection with Jelenia Gora. At the end of the 19th century, the first winter sports enthusiasts arrived in this town. Building the chairlift to Mount Kopa (1,375 m) further advanced the region’s popularity among skiers.

In 1844 the unique medieval Wang chapel came from Norway and was rebuilt in Upper Karpacz. Until the outbreak of World War II, most of the inhabitants were Protestants.

Since the 1970’s the town has no longer been a collection of separate settlements scattered across the hills. Most buildings are now situated along the main artery, ul. Konstytucji 3 Maja. The town received a town charter in 1960.

 

 

Wang Church Karpacz

Wang Temple Karpacz
Wang Temple Karpacz

A sharp departure from the elaborate Baroque and Gothic basilicas that pepper most of Poland, the Wang Church (also written Vang) is one of the few remaining relics of the Norwegian school of stave architecture. In fact, the whole structure moved from Scandinavia and re-erected in its current spot in mountain-shrouded Karpacz in 1842.

It still got mysterious runic inscriptions that blur the boundaries between late Paganism and Christianity, not to mention enchanting dragon-shaped carvings jutting from the apses above.

 


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