The Sudetes ("Sudety" in both Czech and Polish, "Sudeten" in German), are an important mountain range in Central Europe. There are various theories as to the origin of the name "Sudetes". Among them, despite not being most convincing, is an interesting one which derives the word from the Celtic words for "wild boar forest". No doubt the Celts lived here before the Germans and the Slavs arrived. This will be further developed in the Contemporary History chapter.

The Sudetes run from north-west to south-east along the northeastern rim of the ancient (Precambrian), diamond-shaped Bohemian Massif, which forms the bulk of the Czech Republic. The Sudetes span nearly 300 kilometres between the Elbe River near the city of Dresden (the capital of the historic kingdom of Saxony, Germany) and the Moravian Gate (depression that separates the Sudetes from the Carpathians; near Ostrava, the capital of the Czech Silesia). The Elbe Sandstone Mountains, also known as the "Saxon/Bohemian Switzerland", are usually regarded as sitting outside the Sudetes (see the note about Lusatian and Elbe Sandstone Mountains). In topographic terms, the westerly extension of the Sudetes is the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge/Krušné hory), culminating in the peak of Klínovec (no SP pages). At the other, east end, as shown on the map, the Sudetes may seem to link with the Carpathians, but from the geologic point of view they are a completely different formation, much older than the Carpathians and the Alps. The Sudetes are what we commonly call an old mountain range, like the Appalachians, the french Massif Central and Vosges, or the Black Forest.

Headwaters of the Elbe,
Giant Mountains

Several major rivers of Central Europe - the Elbe (Labe/Łaba), the Oder (Odra in CZ & PL), and the Morava (Morawa) - rise in the Sudetes. Throughout its length, the major water divide corresponds to the Czech-Poland border (the Polish side is part of the historic land of Lower Silesia, its capital being the city of Wrocław), and in the west to the German-Czech border. The Sudetes are usually divided into the Western Sudetes (often called Krkonošská oblast by the Czechs), the Central Sudetes (often called Orlická oblast by the Czechs) and the Eastern Sudetes (often called Jesenická oblast or Jeseniky by the Czechs). The eastern boundary of the Western Sudetes runs just east of the Giant Mountains, and - farther north - along the east foot of the Rudawy Janowickie Mountains. The border between the Central and Eastern Sudetes runs several kilometres east of the upper course of the River Nysa Kłodzka, and a little west of the upper course of the River Morava.

On the north and north-east, the Sudetes proper are bounded by a broad band of upland dotted with hills. Within these foothills, or piedmont, there are no culminations exceeding 600m except for the peak of Ślęża (719m), which was regarded as a sacred mountain by many a people that inhabited Lower Silesia in the pre-Christian era.

It is interesting to note that the Sudetes form the northernmost mountain chain in the "continental Europe" (excluding the Scandinavian and British mountains). Consequently, as you can expect, their climate is comparatively harsh during all seasons, and the altitudinal zones extend at lower elevations than in the nearby Carpathians. The weather tends to be very changeable and snowfall can be heavy in winter. No wonder that a couple of the most prominent summits in the Sudetes, namely the highest peak of all in the Sudetes and the second highest massif in the Eastern Sudetes bear names that translate as Snowy Mountain.

Westernmost Reaches

Central Sudetes

Eastern Sudetes aka Jeseniky

Except for a few spots, the Sudetes are rather gentle in shape, and mostly covered by spruce forests planted by man after the natural beech-fir woods were cut down during the industrial era. Hidden in the woodland are numerous rocks, some of which boast a long history of rock climbing. Climbers from western Poland exercise on these rocky "isles", mostly of granite or gneiss, while German and Czech climbers can also have fun within their sandstone "rock cities". The principal sandstone climbing ground inside the Sudetes is the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks on the Czech side of the Table Mountains (see the map above) but the Elbe Sandstone Mountains glued to the west rim of the Sudetes offer many more routes.

A dense network of both waymarked and unmarked paths, forest roads and narrow tarmac lanes makes the Sudetes a fantastic ground for activities such as mountain biking, hiking, cross country skiing, cycling and orienteering - all very popular, especially with the Czechs. The Sudetes were notorious for acid rains which gravely damaged the forests in the 1980's. Fortunately, thanks to huge reforestation efforts, now the woods look even healthier than those in some parts of the Carpathians, currently under a big threat from a kind of wood-eating worm.

Skiing/Snowshoeing/Hiking

Climbing

Biking

Since the Sudetes have also been extensively depicted on MBPost (SummitPost's sister site for mountain biking), this page aims to summarize the contents of both sites (many mountains that are not on SummitPost are presented on MBPost, and vice versa.) Another issue concerns taxonomy. Since many areas make up the Sudetes, some of them far more famous than others, and most of them have SP pages created long before this page was made, the most logical and simple thing to be done seemed to divide this page into a few chapters that correspond to the physiographic units into which the Sudetes are usually divided, and recense all existing objects linked to them (summits, areas, albums, bike trails), as well as listing all major geographic features not presented yet either on SP or on MBPost.

Iser River Mountains, Western Sudetes

Geology and Relief

Archean gneiss

Most of the rock material forming the many sub-ranges within the Sudetes is Paleozoic. But some of the gneisses are Archean, rankng among the oldest rocks in Europe. Crystalline rocks predominate: metamorphic (mainly various kinds of gneiss and schist) and igneous (plutonic, such as granite; or volcanic, such as porphyry). In the sea of the commonest rocks there is a wide range of other rocks and minerals - often semi-precious stones, which makes the Sudetes extremely attractive for geology-lovers and gem collectors. The major topographical lines in the Sudetes reflect the fault lines but the prominent summits and bizarrely shaped groups of rocks result from diverse rock resistance that consequently leads to differential weathering/erosion.

Gems along the trail

Western Sudetes
The heart of the Western Sudetes is granite, Hercynian (Variscan) of age, namely the batholith of the Iser-Giant Mountains-Jelenia Góra Basin with metamorphic rocks around it. Hence the double-faced, i.e. granite-gneiss/schist, nature of the Iser, Giant and Janowice Ore mountains that surround the city of Jelenia Góra. North of the basin extends the low range of the Kaczawa River Mountains (barely above 700m), displaying Caledonian (early Paleozoic) folds and a range of rock types, like most of the Sudetes. Over Jelenia Góra, to the south rises the main ridge of the Giant Mountains, mostly composed of granite. However, the highest peak (of all in the Sudetes), Sněžka/Śnieżka is made of hornfels (hornstone), a rock hardened through contact with hot granitic magma.

Eastern Sudetes
The Eastern Sudetes extend east of the Nysa Kłodzka River. Their highest massifs (Praded and Śnieżnik) are composed of very old gneisses and schists but most of the rest is of younger and softer rocks, folded in the Hercynian cycle (late Paleozoic). The folds run N-S, nearly perpendicularly to the axes of the particular mountain ranges as well as to the NE edge of the Sudetes, which results in a fairly wavy skyline.

Granite tor,
Western Sudetes

Weathering depends
on cracks

"Rock city",
Central Sudetes

Wilczka Falls,
born on a fault

Metamorphic rocks,
Eastern Sudetes

Central Sudetes
This part of the Sudetes, hardly rising above 1000m, is – in geologic terms – a depression between the ancient blocks of the Sowie (Owl) Mountains in the north and the Orlickie and Bystrzyckie mountains in the south, both composed of Precambrian rocks. The central part of this basin is filled with sandstone that forms picturesque plateaux making up the Table Mountains (Góry Stołowe/Broumovska vrchovina). In the late Mesozoic (Cretaceous), around the Sudetes existed a sea whose waters also engulfed most of the Central Sudetes. Into this sea the rivers brought plenty of sand, which later turned into sandstone, out of which erosion has created fabulous "rock cities". Such mazes of slot canyons, buttes, towers and pinnacles – attractive to the hiker and the technical climber alike – can also be found around the Western Sudetes (see Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland and Smaller Sandstone Wonders). Under the sandstone lies Carboniferous coal which comes to surface at the towns of Wałbrzych and Nowa Ruda, until recently typical mining towns of the industrial era. In the northwest – between Wałbrzych and the Czech tableland – rise several ranges made of hard volcanic rocks, namely porphyries – late-Paleozoic of age and reddish in colour. Thanks to what they are made of these porphyry hills of many names - one of them being the Góry Kamienne (Stone Mountains - see Central Sudetes and Kłodzko Basin) - have surprisingly steep slopes and bold silhouettes, contrasting with the flat summits of the ranges that surround them.

Broumovska vrchovina (Broumov Walls); Stone Mountains in the background.

The Cenozoic in the Sudetes
In the Tertiary, the seas were already gone and all the Sudetes underwent extensive weathering under tropical climate conditions, which led to them looking like a vast plain with occasional hills of the most resistant rocks. The tectonic forces of the Alpine orogeny, while folding the Alps and the Carpathians in the south, made their northern foreland of the Hercynian Europe crack and rise again. Inside the Sudetes, horsts and basins were formed.

The cracking of the crust was accompanied by eruptions of basalt volcanoes. The lava that set inside the vents ("throats") of those volcanoes – most resistant to erosion – has resulted in the remnants of the once- fuming cones dotting the landscapes of the piedmont around the Western Sudetes up to this day. They have been reduced to just hills, however, these hills are comparatively bold in shape. During the Ice Age, the Scandinavian ice sheets spread as far as the basins beyond the Sudetic Marginal Fault and left some sediments on their floor. Mountain glaciers were present in the highest parts of the Jeseníky (Eastern Sudetes) but didn't have much impact on the landscape, whereas in the west, in the Krkonoše (Giant Mountains) they were up to five kilometres long and carved several splendid cirques. In the Holocene, on some of the fairly flat tops of the mountain ridges throughout the Sudetes peat bogs have developed.

Tertiary peneplain
below Śnieżka/Snezka

Tarn in a cirque,
Giant Mountains

Relics of Tertiary
volcanism (piedmont)

Ślęża from Góry Sowie
(Owl Mountains)

Piedmont of the Sudetes
One of the most important fault lines drawn during the Alpine cycle is the hundred mile long Sudetic Marginal Fault. It runs NW-SE and forms the clear-cut NE edge of the mountains, separating them from what was sentenced to becoming just foothills southwest of the city of Wrocław, known as Przedgórze Sudeckie. Before the Alpine orogeny, these hills ranked among the highest peaks in the Sudetes, but they were cut off the Sudetes proper and left down below at elevations of a mere few hundred meters. The highest of them is Ślęża Mountain (719m), made of gabbro and granite of the same age as the Iser-Karkonosze block. Further west, the uplands around the Sudetes have a different geological make-up and history. Their Polish part is known as Pogórze Zachodniosudeckie, which extends across the Poland-Germany border to form the foothills of the Lusatian Mountains. All along the outskirts of the Western Sudetes volcanic necks abound, and in several places bizarre sandstone formations occur (see next chapter).

Gabbro summit of Ślęża,
Przedgórze Sudeckie

Elbe Sandstone Mts,
outskirts of Western Sudetes

Bohemian Masif
just south of Lusatian Mts

Czech Paradise,
outskirts of Western Sudetes

Lusatian Mountains, Saxon-Bohemian Paradise and Smaller Sandstone Wonders

View Elbe gorges and zone covered

The Elbe gorges and the beginning...

Note: The western limits of the Sudetes as presented in this chapter can be a subject of debate. The NW edge of the Bohemian Massif is mostly formed by Ore Mountains, extending west of the Elbe Gorge. Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland is not usually regarded as part of the Sudetes but seen as a distinct region, filling in the "gap" between the Ore Mountains and the Sudetes. But there are three reasons for it being included here:
1. In terms of geology, geomorphology and – last but not least – climbing techniques, the area bears striking similarity to the tableland of the "rock cities" formed of Cretaceous sandstone in the Central Sudetes.
2. This is a beautiful but tiny area which clings to the Lusatian Mountains, which are mostly of sandstone.
3. On SP, there are hardly any photos of the other ranges running around the Bohemian Massif, so a different parent page just wouldn't make sense anyway.

This area sits east of the gorge of the Elbe, across which the Ore mountains rise. It is famous for its sandstone labyrinths and slot canyons as well as vertical walls and towers to climb. The history of climbing in this special "Switzerland" has been written by Moni: here.

The Saxon Switzerland ("Sächsische Schweiz"), on the German territory, the most spectacular bit of the western reaches of the Sudetes, is packed with extraordinary sandstone formations, and classified as a national park. The park neighbours the Czech park, similarly named: the "Czech Switzerland" (České Švýcarsko). Nowadays, after the fall of the iron curtain, both Germany and the Czech Republic being member countries of the European Union and the Schengen Zone, these two parks cooperate very closely. This portal witnesses it. Amongst the main attractions, the area of Bastei, with rocky tops such as Kleine Gans, Türkenkopf and Ziegenrückturm, stand over the rest in terms of popularity. See also this album and the tourist routes of Bastei and Schrammsteine. On SP, there are fewer pages about the Czech side of the "Switzerland", but the area is not less rich in interesting features. Let's mention Europe's longest natural arch, Pravčická brána, recently added to the UNESCO world heritage list. Between Lovosice (CZ) and Pirna (DE), the gorges of the Elbe form a splendid valley. A main road - which is a key transport route between Dresden and Prague - goes along this valley, but the other bank is a popular cyclotouring track, with many interesting historical and cultural objects along the way.

Schrammsteine,
Elbe Sandstone Mts

Lusatian Mountains,
via ferrata Nonnensteig

Bastei,
Elbe Sandstone Mts

To the east, the "Switzerland" turns into less attractive terrain of the Lusatian Mountains (Lužické hory/Góry Łużyckie/Lausitzer Gebirge), culminating in the the eponymous peak of "Luž" (793m). This region is dotted with volcanic (basalt) necks as well as occasional sandstone rocks. South-west of the Iser Mountains (next chapter), on the other side of the uppermost section of the Lusatian Neisse (Lužická Nisa in Czech), a long, mostly granite ridge - the Ještědsko-kozákovský hřbet/Grzbiet Jesztiedzki/Jeschken-Kosakow-Kamm - extends NW to SE. The highest summit of this ridge - namely Ještěd (Jeschken in German), 1012m - rises in the west and can be seen from the Giant Mountains (next chapter).

Falkenstein,
Lausitzer Gebirge

Panská skála,
Lužické hory

Český Ráj,
(Czech Paradise)

At the eastern end of the Jested-Kozakov Ridge - halfway between the Elbe Sandstone Mountains and the tableland of the Central Sudetes - other sandstone rock cities are to be found. This area is usually called "Czech Paradise" or "Bohemian Paradise" (map): Český Ráj (probably named this way with regard to Slovakia's Slovenský raj). Most of these sandstone formations - constituting excellent rock-climbing areas - are briefly described in this list on SP. Such sandstone formations, although much smaller, can also be seen on the Polish piedmont of the Sudetes, near the town of Lwówek Śląski: Szwajcaria Lwówecka.

Sudetes end somewhere near here

Iser & Giant Mountains Area

View Iser & Giant Mountains in a larger map

Jizerka (Little Iser River)

The geologic composition of the Sudetes changes a few kilometers east of the point where the three international borders meet. Here begins the most elevated part of the Sudetes - the granite and gneiss block of Iser-Giant mountains. It consists of the Iser Mountains (Jizerské Hory / Góry Izerskie / Isergebirge) in the west and the Giant Mountains (Krkonoše / Karkonosze / Riesengebirge) east of the pass crossed by a road linking the resorts of Szklarska Poręba (Poland) and Harrachov. Apart from a road pass, the morphology differentiates the two mountain units. The Giant Mountains tend to be more alpine in character than the Iser Mountains, whose heart is an undulating plateau, across which flows the gorgeous Isera River that the mountains have been named after (see the "Water" album). The Giant Mountains are the only range in the Sudetes which rises well above the tree line, cradled several mountain glaciers in the Ice Age, and boasts several fine cirques and a couple of decent tarns.

At the Polish foot of the mountains lies the basin and city of Jelenia Góra bounded by the Góry Izerskie on the west, the Rudawy Janowickie on the east, and the Kaczawskie Mountains on the north.

Stóg Izerski

Snowy Cauldrons

Śnieżka/Snezka/Schneekoppe

The Iser Mountains take their name from the aforementioned River Isera, whose name may derive from the Celtic word "isirás", meaning "rapid". It is interesting to note that this is not the only European river that goes by such a name; in France and Germany its toponymic homonyms can be found, like the French river Isère (see this interesting French article about Czech mountain names). These mountains culminate in the top of Wysoka Kopa (1126m), not to be mistaken for any of the several identically named places in the rest of the Sudetes. Paradoxically, this summit is not served by any trail. But the second highest, Smrek, enjoys all the popularity thanks to its view tower and a cable car on Stóg Izerski, its close Polish neighbour (until recently crossing the border was strictly forbidden...). This top is a popular destination also for cyclers (see trail on MBPost). On SP, the Iser Mountains can be seen through a series of albums by Romuald Kosina, such as the "Sun" album", the minerals album and the flora album. The Iser Mountains hold the title ofthe coldest place in Poland, namely Hala Izerska, a clearing in a hollow in the heart of the Iser Mountains.

Main trail below
the top of Sněžka/Śnieżka

Góry Izerskie/Jizerské Hory
(Iser Mountains)

Sněžka/Śnieżka,
Sudetic "Mt Washington"

The main ridge of the Giant Mountains as well as the Polish side of the range are mostly of granite but the highest peak, Sněžka/Śnieżka/Schneekoppe and the long side ridges on the Czech side (much bigger than the Polish Karkonosze) are made of metamorphic rocks (see Geology and Relief chapter). As far as the weather is concerned, Sněžka/Śnieżka, for its arctic winter conditions and violent winds, can be likened to Mount Washington in the Appalachians. The Giant Mountains can be divided in two sub-regions, separated by a pass called Przełęcz Karkonoska, (Spindlerove Sedlo in CZ) through which runs a tarmac road crossing the mountains. (While the Czech section of the road is open to cars, the other side enjoys the fame of Poland's steepest -27% - cycle lane.) The west half of the Giant Mountains extends past Vysoké Kolo (Wielki Szyszak/Hohe Rad, 1509m) toward the top of Szrenica, and has many interesting sites, such as the glacial corries of Śnieżne Kotły (Polish side), the source of the Elbe (Czech side), and a number of granite tors, such as Śląskie Kamienie/Dívči Kameny, or Skalna Brama. The east half extends past the rocky outcrops of Mały Szyszak/Malý Šišák, then beyond Sněžka/Śnieżka. The main ridge trail overlooks the largest mountain lakes in the Sudetes, Mały Staw and Wielki Staw (literally Little and Big tarns). Down below sits the renowned resort of Karpacz. Many of all these beautiful sights are shown in this album.

Vysoke Kolo/Wielki Szyszak

Kozi Hrbety (Goat Ridge)

Skalna Brama (Rock Gate)

As for cycling, the Giant Mountains have many trails, but mostly on the Czech side, where one can find dense networks of marked routes around the resorts of Pec pod Sněžkou, Špindlerův Mlýn, or Harrachov (see this trail). Many of them correspond to the networks of winter cross-country skiing trails. But beware, not all of them are open to bikes especially in their upper sections, even if they look accessible. Watch out for the regulations.

The Rudawy Janowickie, whose name translates as "Ore Mountains of Janowice" ("Landshuter Kamm"), are partly of granite, e.g. their highest peak Skalnik (945m), well known for having given its name to a famous sport shop), and many rocky outcrops like the Sokoliki hills, famous amongst rock-climbers in Poland for the rock quality as well as the profusion of routes. (BTW Both of us did our climbing course here.) The Rudawy Janowickie have no area-page on SP but Romuald Kosina, again, has posted many valuable ablums about the area, not to mention the main one, about flora, water, mines and quarries, stone shelters, rockclimbing, Bolczów castle, as well as specific rocks like Piec, Skały Starościńskie, Janowickie Garby, and the famous natural arch Skalny Most. It should be also mentioned that the area abounds in excellent cycle trails, such as these loops around Wielka Kopa, Skalnik, and the Sokoliki hills.

Besides being the only bit of the western Sudetes where crystalline limestone occurs, the Góry Kaczawskie (see this very good link too) with the tops of Skopiec (724m), Okole (714m), Folwarczna (720m), show volcanic rocks - both old (lava that covered the bottom of the Paleozoic sea) and relatively young (remnants of the cones of the Tertiary volcanoes, such as Ostrzyca (Spitzberg in German, 501m) which sits a bit off the mountains proper, within the piedmont, towards the north-west: see this sketch map. The Góry Kaczawskie take their name from the River Kaczawa, which rises inside them and flows through them. The mountains have been extensively mined and quarried for several centuries, along with their neighbours, the Rudawy Janowickie (Janowice Ore Mountains) which extend south of the little town of Janowice, on the other side of the River Bóbr (Bober in German). The mountain ridge of the Góry Kaczawskie that faces the Rudawy Janowickie across the gorge of the Bóbr is named the Góry Ołowiane, literally the Lead Mountains (Turzec, 684m).

Tributary of the Bóbr

River Bóbr

Kaczawskie Mts from Rudawy

Central Sudetes and Kłodzko Basin

View Central Sudetes and Kłodzko Basin in a larger map

Adršpašské Skály

East of the area described in the above chapter, the topography of the Sudetes becomes more complex. The mountains divide into two NW-SE chains of different nature (which will join again in the Eastern Sudetes, presented below), separated by a centrally located depression used by the Ścinawka River, a tributary of the Nysa Kłodzka.

The latter flows south to north through the Kłodzko Basin (Kotlina Kłodzka / Kladská kotlina / Glatzer Kessel). The term Kotlina Kłodzka is often applied to the whole of the historic land of Kłodzko, corresponding to a lozenge-shaped eccentricity of the Polish border, which one can easily identify on a general map of Poland, in its left bottom corner.

This region is famous for its numerous spas, like Polanica-Zdrój, Duszniki Zdrój, Kudowa-Zdrój, or Lądek Zdrój. But what lures hikers and climbers here is the sandstone tablelands that rise north of the Kudowa-Polanica hollow and extend northwesterly, across the Polish-Czech border, towards the Adršpach-Teplice National Nature Reserve. The Polish chunk of these mountains has recently been designated a National Park.

In the northwest corner of the Central Sudetes, where the mountains split into the aforementioned two chains near the city of Wałbrzych, there is a belt of steep hills composed mostly of red porphyry. Their heart is called the Góry Suche (Dry Mts) by the Poles, and the Javoří hory (Sycamore Mts) by the Czechs. Their highest peak is Waligóra (934m) in Poland, whereas across the border rises Ruprechtický Špičák (880m) with a new observation tower. This is a tourist area with many trails (most of them convenient for cycling, see this trail). But on some trails hiking can be surprisingly challenging as the slopes of these mountains are very steep, there is scree in a few places, and more and more bushwhacking as the hiking tradition fades.

Waligóra (943m) and
Ruprechtický Špičák (880m)

Lesista (851m)

Borowa (853m),
Wałbrzych Mountains

The western extension of the Dry Mts, parallel to the Ore Mts of Janowice (above chapter), is the Raven Mts (GóryKrucze/Vraní hory/Rabengebirge) which form the NW rim of the Table Montains (further below). Polish geographers usually group the Dry Mts, the Raven Mts and some smaller massifs together, naming the whole group the Stone Mts (Góry Kamienne). The northern extension of the Stone Mts is the Wałbrzych Mts (Borowa (853m) around the city of Wałbrzych and its old coal mines. Between the castles of Książ and Cisy, tucked between townships sit two local natural attractions: the gorges of the Pełcznica and the Szczawnik.

Trail from Jugowska Przełęcz (Jugów Pass) to Kalenica, Góry Sowie

The Wałbrzych Mountains (Góry Wałbrzyskie) are the first link in the northern chain of the ranges of the Central Sudetes, which is made up of the Wałbrzych Mountains, the Owl Mountains (Góry Sowie/Soví hory) and the Bardo Mountains (Góry Bardzkie/Bardzké hory): Wałbrzych Mountains (Góry Wałbrzyskie), the Owl Mountains (Góry Sowie / Soví hory). The Owl Mountains comprise a pretty classic horst with a rather flat, undulating top at about 1000m, made of gneiss that ranks among the oldest rocks in Europe. The main trail, shared by hikers and bikers, makes a fine cycling or cross-country skiing itinerary. The most popular attraction of the Owl Mountains is their highest summit, Wielka Sowa, and its beautiful old observation tower, recently renovated. Farther east, Kalenica, also has a view-tower, not so pretty, built of metal. The last, SE segment culminates in Malinowa, more anonymous although not far from the famous medieval fort of Srebrna Góra (Silver Mountain).

Horst of the Owl Mountains.

The southeastern, much lower extension of the Owl Mountains is the Bardo Mountains (Góry Bardzkie), named after a little town at the mouth of the gorge carved by the meandering Nysa Kłodzka as the mountains were being lifted by tectonic forces. The Bardo Mountains, whose highest summit is Kłodzka Góra (765m), constitute a link between the Central and Eastern Sudetes, and display a geologic make-up typical of Eastern Sudetes (next chapter).

Adrspasské Skaly

Szczeliniec Wielki

The southern chain of the Central Sudetes' ranges, its NW half made of sandstone tablelands, is less continuous, and hides several "rock cities", or "rock labyrinths". This area, the Table Mountains (Góry Stołowe / Stolové hory), extends across the international border. The Czech usually call it "Broumovska vrchovina". The most famous attraction of it is for sure the marvellous nature reserve Adršpašsko-Teplické Skály - a maze of huge rock sandstone towers, which cradles a turqoise pond filling up an old quarry. The trail forms two distinct circuits (Adršpašské & Teplické), connected by a much less frequented trail. Near the Polish border, lie the Broumovské Stěny (Broumov walls), a similar area, a bit less packed with bizarre rocks, broader and also less popular.

Broumovské Stěny neigbour the Polish Table Mountains, whose two main tourist attractions are the labyrinths of Szczeliniec Wielki and Błędne Skały. Sadly, these attractions are often packed with tourists. Just like those of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, most of these sandstone formations, famous in the Czech Republic for constituting excellent rock-climbing areas, are summarized in this list on SP.

Szczeliniec Wielki

Błędne Skały

Szczeliniec Wielki

The Eagle Mountains (Góry Orlickie / Orlické hory), another block of archaic gneiss, broad and flat, cradle a fine peat bog, "Torfowisko pod Zieleńcem". This is a good area for easy hiking, but also with many cycling trails. On the Czech side, but not far from the border, stands the highest summit of all in the Central Sudetes, Velká Deštná, a popular cycling destination. The inner - overlooking Kłodzko Basin, about 200m lower - ridge of the Eagle Mts is named the Bystrzyca Mountains (Góry Bystrzyckie / Bystřické hory). It runs parallel to the Eagle Mts as far as the uppermost course of the Nysa Kłodzka River and Międzylesie Pass, beyond which the Eastern Sudetes rise.

NE of the Central Sudetes rise a few isolated hills within what is called Przedgórze Sudeckie (Piedmont of the Sudetes). Their highest summit is Ślęza - the pet mountain of the inhabitants of the city of Wrocław - proudly rising half a kilometer above the lowland of the Odra River. The massif of Ślęza at 719m, is a very popular hiking place, covered by many albums created by our prolific contributor Romuald Kosina, such as the spring, summer, autumn, winter, waters, stones, quarries, and Saint Mountain. This is also a cycling destination, like its little sister Radunia and the Oleszeńskie hills.
The Strzelin hills, culminating in Gromnik (392), are another prominence worthy of a mention; these hills also make a fine cycling place.

Orlické hory (Eagle Mts)

Wilcza Góra, Bardo Mountains

Ślęża seen from Wrocław

Eastern Sudetes (Jeseníky) [UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

The Eastern Sudetes are usually called the Jeseníky by Czech people, whereas Poles never use the term "Jesioniki" for the Polish part of the Eastern Sudetes. Anyway, in these mountains - if one excludes the Giant Mountains - the highest peaks of the Sudetes stand. They are to be found in the Hrubý Jeseník (High Jesenik) inside the Czech Republic and in the adjacent Śnieżnik/Sněžník Massif which straddles the Czech-Polish border. these peaks are far from jagged, however, tiny rugged patches occur within this vast expanse of woodland, where hikers, bushwhackers, snowshoers and game viewers can seek sort of wilderness. Huge herds of red deer can be seen in these woods at dusk or dawn. The western frontier of the Eastern Sudetes runs west of Śnieżnik/Sněžník, a little east of the Nysa Kłodzka River. The whole range of the Bardo Mountains (Góry Bardzkie - see Overview map), sawn by the gorge of the Nysa Kłodzka is usually classified as part of the Central Sudetes, however, their Hercynian folds running north-south across the major faults, as well as rocks that are less resistant to erosion, are characteristic of the Eastern Sudetes, especially of their eastern part, i.e. the Nízký Jeseník (Low Jesenik), which – as its name suggests – doesn't exceed 800m in height. All the high and low ranges of the Eastern Sudetes are excellent biking terrain.

East of the Bardo Mountains sits a group of mountains, where the physiographic nomenclature becomes tricky since the Poles and the Czechs often divide the area into different units, for which they use different names. What the Poles call Góry Złote (the Gold Mountains, northernmost) and Góry Bialskie (the White Mountains, next to Śnieżnik Massif) is in fact parts of a bigger sub-group that the Czechs call Rychlebské Hory (which may derive from the German "Reichensteine"????? meaning "Rich Stone Mountains"). To add to the confusion, Polish people do use their language equivalent of "Rychlebské Hory" ("Góry Rychlebskie") for the Czech side of these mountains, and the Czechs – although not very often – use the name "Bělské vrchy" for the Polish Góry Bialskie. This partly results from the complicated line of the international frontier, which was virtually closed (except for the few crossings outside the mountains) for the second half of the 20th century. To sort it all out, the Góry Bialskie should be regarded as just a pretty, quiet, little corner of the Gold/Rychlebské Mountains, known for their history of gold mining.

These Gold Mountains get higher and higher as we go south. One of the most popular summits is Borůvková Hora/Borówkowa Góra. Not really a prominent peak, but its view-tower provides lots of fun. This place is also famous for having been a venue of secret meetings between the Czechoslovak and Polish anti-communist activists. One of the participants of these meetings was Václav Havel, later the first president of the post-communist Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic. Nowadays, this place is regarded as a landmark of the Polish-Czech friendship, where one can buy a pint of Pils paying in either of the currencies. All the trails leading to this top are gentle and make for pleasant cycling. The road pass of Przełęcz Lądecka/sedlo Travná (until recently closed but open to cars since 2008) marks the northern limits of the Góry Bialskie, with peaks at about 1100m, such as Smrk or Rudawiec. One interesting feature of these mountains, on the Polish side, is the long valley of the Biała Lądecka, upstream from the town of Stronie Śląskie. The tarmac road runs up along the river as far as the remotest village, Bielice (several guesthouses/huts), then still goes up until the point called the "Pass of the 3 borders", which refers to Moravia, Silesia and the land of Kłodzko. On the Czech side, the only hut in the area is Chata Paprsek.

Another road pass, Przełęcz Płoszczyna/Kladské sedlo, marks the junction with the Śnieżnik/Sněžník Massif, with the highest peak (1425m) of the Polish Eastern Sudetes. These mountains also have their cycling page (despite being an uncommon cycling destination). Within the massif, north of the summit of Śnieżnik the conical top of Czarna Góra catches the eye. This mountain boasts one of the finest ski resorts in the region. The etymology of the word Jeseník is the German "Gesenke", which means "depression" or "basin" (the eponymous city sits in such a hollow).

East of Śnieżnik rises the massif of High Jesenik (Hrubý Jeseník/Jesioniki), which is the second highest mountainous block in the Sudetes. It is made up of two units separated by the road pass of Červenohorské Sedlo. Close to Śnieżnik, in the north-west, there's the Keprník area, a nature reserve extending towards Šerák, which has a mountain hut. In the south, the summit of Praděd/Pradziad/Altvater, flirting with the height of 1500m, served by an asphalt road leading to the top (popular cycling trail), where a 162m tall TV tower (with an observation deck) stands. Given the monotony of the summit area, hikers can be more interested in the interpretive trail from Karlova Studánka up along the stream of Bílá Opava. East of Jesenik town, another smaller unit of the Hrubý Jeseník is located, its main attraction being the peat bog and village of Rejvíz.

North of Rejvíz, by the Polish border, lies the town of Zlaté Hory, famous for its wooden gold mill still in use, which – besides the town's name – attests to the presence of gold in the area (consisting of the previously mentioned Gold Mountains in the west and the Góry Opawskie (in Polish)/Zlatohorská vrchovina (in Czech) straddling the frontier near the town). The highest peak of the latter is Přičný vrch (975m) which stands just south of Zlaté Hory and is perforated with gold mine shafts (buried). However, a much more popular hiking and biking destination is Biskupia Kopa (890m). It rises on the Czech-Polish border and has an observation tower erected towards the very end of the 19th century. Cyclist can enjoy a pleasant three-mile long ride downhill. These mountains can be considered to be the northern foothills of the High Jesenik.

South of the High Jesenik sit more mundane and less tall - despite being higher: Jeřáb 1003m - foothills, which are called Hanušovická vrchovina. Still, there is a popular rock climbing spot here by the ruins of the castle named Rabštejn (803m; see the hut's site)

The southeastern reaches of the Sudetes comprise broad highlands named the Low Jesenik (Nízký Jeseník). Completely covered by woods, the mountains do not exceed 800m in height. Their southeasternmmost corner extending along the River Odra (Oder), which has its source here, is called the Oderské vrchy (Góry Odrzańskie in Polish). The Odra will empty into the Baltic sea, having collected all the water from the northeastern flank of the Sudetes.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the Jeseníky region boasts what is considered one of the most beautiful spas in the Czech Republic: Karlova Studánka, where wooden architecture predominates. On a clear day, from most of the summits above the tree line, the Czech Beskids and Lysá Hora are visible on the horizon. Wooden churches in Maršíkov or Žárová seem to make for a foretaste of the Carpathians, on the other side of the Moravian gate...

Carpathians on the horizon

Red Tape

The Saxon-Bohemian "Switzerland", most of the Giant Mountains (on both sides of the border) and the Polish part of the Table Mountains are national parks. Equally interesting but smaller areas have been designated national nature reserves, and are also strictly protected. In the national parks you are not allowed to hike along non-waymarked paths. In the Giant Mts climbing is virtually prohibited. Only in the middle of winter can you climb in the Śnieżne Kotły (Snowy Cauldrons), and you will probably need a permit. In the Elbe Sandstone Mountains and in the Table Mountains climbing is possible on condition that you stick to the rules, which are rather sophisticated: have a look in here.

Most of the other interesting terrain (see the map on this Czech site) is protected less strictly as "landscape parks", where you can bushwhack freely although camping is not permitted except on few designated campsites.

River Iser, part of the Czech-Polish border

Contemporary History [UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

Hut Chata Jiřího na Šeráku...

used to be "Georgsschutzhaus"...

NOTE : This page aims to present the Sudetes from an apolitical, impartial perspective. However, some historical notions have been included, mostly to arouse the curiosity of the reader and help the potential visitor to better understand this historic country. Some geographical notions are also discussed, and may occasionally refer to recent history. The names of the mountains and places are usually given in the official language of the country whose political borders they are now within. In no case should these notions be interpreted in any other way than purely informational. We hope this page will never give rise to any resentments.

Like many mountain ranges, the Sudetes were often a barrier separating political entities, and today they form a border between the Czech and Polish states, like they did for a couple of centuries about a thousand years ago. But for several hundred years the Sudetes were settled and heavily populated by Germans, who were the majority on both sides of the border when Czechoslovakia was born after the First World War: Czechoslovakia 1930. Still, on the territory of what is now an easternmost Germany an enclave inhabited by the descendants of a Slavic tribe that settled in the Western Sudetes about a dozen hundred years ago has remained to this day - see these links: Sorbs and Wends.

Hut in Iser Mts
100 years ago

Postcard written
in August, 1898

After the Migration Period in Europe (aka the Barbarian Invasions), the presence of Germans in the Sudetes and the lands surrounding the mountains (Bohemia in the south, and Silesia in the north), begins in the early centuries of the second millennium AD, when in these lands Czech and Polish kingdoms or duchies have already been established. Their rulers often invite or welcome settlers from the overpopulated, technologically more advanced countries of the Western Europe. Most of the settlers come from the nearby German states. In C14, most of Silesia west of the River Odra/Oder - including the Sudetes - already speaks German. Both Bohemia and Silesia flourish economically and culturally.

But from the end of C14, for a few centuries civil and religious wars ravage both countries, then parts of the Czech crown. In 1620's a number of Czech Protestant refugees settle in the Western Sudetes, on the other side of the watershed, often in remote places such as the heart of the Iser Mountains. In 1742, the treaty of Hubertusburg gives Silesia - previously ruled by the Habsburgs - to Prussia, the predecessor of Germany. In the Sudetes, the international border runs practically along today's border between the Czech Republic and Poland. From this time on, all of the north-eastern side of the Sudetes belongs to Prussia. In the 1870s, under the leadership of Prussia, Germany is established.

In 1918, the Austrian empire is dismantled and the Germans of Czechoslovakia become a minority amongst others. Tensions intensify with the great economic depression of the 1930's that results in Hitler's coming to power. In the Czech Sudetes, the Nazi soon have more supporters than in Germany. In 1938 the annexation of the German-speaking regions by the 3rd Reich, endorsed by the French and English politicians, follows. Persecution of the non-German, especially Jewish population begins. Soon the Nazi Germany occupies the rest of the Czech lands.

Today's border - no police, no gates, no problem - no more!

History sometimes resurfaces...

The end of the Second World War marks another tragic period, not well known to the people of the West, as the Sudetes remained in the Eastern bloc. The Potsdam Accord (signed by the allies too) endorsed the transfer of all German populations from the Sudetes (out of post-war Germany) to East Germany, which was also to be part of the Soviet Block. These expulsions, usually carried out by the Red Army, were accompanied by atrocities, rape and robbery. It was witnessed that Polish settlers or Czech autochthons, driven by revengeful feelings, were also involved in these harassments. The proportion of this is highly controversial, however, despite the fact that the Third Reich was the main perpetrator of the atrocities during World War II, it must be remembered that tens of thousands of German civilians died in such circumstances as well.

During the following years, the "regained lands" were repopulated artificially with immigrants, mostly from the eastern regions of both Poland and Czechoslovakia annexed by the USSR following the Yalta agreements. These populations were often coming from rural, less developed areas. Lack of education combined with poverty and communist policies resulted in much of the rich urbanism and complex infrastructures that had been developed by the Germans in the Sudetes remaining in complete oblivion and decrepitude for several decades.

It wasn't until the fall of the Iron Curtain, accession of Poland and the Czech Republic into the European Union, and the recent economic rise of both countries that the German heritage can be rediscovered and restored, and unbiased dialogue about these painful episodes can be started despite all the tension which is unavoidable and understandable.

The most beautiful conclusion

Then Passendorf/now Pasterka
within Table Mts Nat'l Park

One of the main platform for dialogue and reconciliation is the parallel between the expulsions of the Germans, and the fate of the new settlers, most of whom had had to leave their homes in what is now western Ukraine or Lithuania - during the same wartime, as a consequence of Stalin's decision (see this link). Both sides may find an area of understanding by denunciating the atrocities, and focusing hopes on the shared EU "nationality" and the new facilities of circulation[???].

Nowadays, the foreign tourist visiting the Sudetes, in many localities, especially those sitting off the beaten track, in less touristy areas, has a strong feeling of visiting a kind of ghost country. The German atmosphere is palpable everywhere, and many places look as if they were a dodgy, weird superposition. Old-fashioned German kitsch, villas with complex ornaments, dense railway network and out-of-service train stations are juxtaposed with architecture in a rustic Eastern Slavic style, such as Zakopane-style cottages, wooden restaurants, taverns; and more generally icons of some other tourist areas lying farther towards the East. All this can in fact reinforce the hiker's interest in visiting the Sudetes - a complex mountainous region with an unusually rich and varied history and heritage.

Sudetes end somewhere near here

Getting there

Prague airport

Dresden airport

Wrocław airport

From the plane

German railways

Polish railways

Czech railways

Maps [UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

Tourist attractions of the Polish and Czech Sudetes depicted in English

Images



[ View Gallery - 188 More Images ]