Samotnia : Hut & Campground Information : SummitPost

Overview

The Small Pond

The Small Pond is a glacial lake located in Karkonosze Moutains, in Western part of Sudety Mountains. It is a second biggest lake in Karkonosze (2,9 ha), after nearby Wielki Staw (The Big Pond- 8,5 ha). It lies at the bottom of The Small Pond Cirque towered by Równia pod Śnieżką (1400 m) and Smogornia (1489 m). Most of the year the lake is ice covered, in the hottest months the water temperature reaches about 10 degrees of Celsius. The water is very clean and clear, the depth of the lake is 7 meters.

The Small Pond

History

Rocky cliffs above the Small Pond

The Small Pond as seen from the main ridge of Karkonosze

By many tourists Samotnia is considered as the pearl of Karkonosze, the most beautiful place in whole Sudety Mountains.

Samotnia is one of the oldest mountain huts in Poland. First informations about the hut came from the year 1670. It was a small shelter of a man who was guarding trouts in the lake (on behalf of Schlaffgotsch family, the owner of the area in that time).
In the middle of XIX century Karkonosze became a mass tourist attraction (because of providing Jelenia Gora the acces to railways) so owners of the shelters had to rebuild and enlarge them. In that time the hut belonged to Karol Haring, but he was forced to sell the hut to Henryk Richter in 1891. The object was being modernizied through these years: just before the begining of XX century the symbol of Samotnia- a small tower with a bell (the date on the bell is 1861)- was built. Next owners are: Franciszek Krauze, Hasse family (before the Second World War) and Stanislaw Staron, Zbigniew Pawlowski, Cezary Marcinkowski (after the war).
Definitely the most known and the most important owner of the hut in it’s history was Waldemar Siemaszko (the hut is now named after him) who started managing the hut on June 13. 1966. He died in a car accident on the road from the hut to Vang in 1994. From that time the owner of the hut is Sylwia Siemaszko.

How to reach the hut?

Getting there

Marked trail via Kocioł Łomniczki

The Big Pond as seen from the main ridge of Karkonosze

Cascades in the White Elbe Valley

Polish side:
Starting point for the majority of routes (and the shortest one at the same time) is Karpacz. Karpacz is reachable by bus or car from Jelenia Góra, a town located about 100 km west from Wrocław (Breslau).

Czech side:
Despite the fact that the hut is located entirely at Polish teritory tourists who are at the Czech side of Karkonosze Mountains may also visit the hut.
Cities located at the bottom of Karkonosze Mountains are Pec pod Snezkou and Spindleruv Mlyn. To get to Spindleruv Mlyn drive from Liberec in Eastern direction, after about 45 kilometers you will reach a city of Vrchlabi, then turn North. To get to Pec pod Snezkou you must first go the city of Trutnov- follows the route to Vrhlabi and continue about 15 kilometers further East, then turn North.

Access

From Polish side there are several possibilities:

by the road and blue marks- shortest option: 1,5 h from Karpacz- Vang.

black marks to Biały Jar from the lower station of chair lift, then yellow to Strzecha Akadmicka Hut and finally blue : 2 h (very steep, reccomended for descent). (Attention: closed in winter- avalanche danger!)

yellow marks to Strzecha Akadmicka Hut and then by blue marks 1 h 45 minutes

red marks via Kocioł Łomniczki to Równia pod Śnieżką (Attention: closed in winter- avalanche danger!): 2,5 h, then two options:

summer follows by black marks to upper station of chair lift, crosses below Bialy Jar (switch to yellow marks) and passes next to Strzecha Akademicka Hut, using blue marks goes to Samotnia: 1 h (3,5 h total)

winter follows the road (West) and passes Strzecha Akademicka Hut (blue marks): 1h (3,5 h total)

Some details about trails in that area you may find here:Polish side.

From Czech side:

Spindleruv Mlyn version:

go by Stara Bucharova Cesta to the summit of Kozi Hrbety (1422 m)- beautiful trail and then descend to Lucni Hut, switch to yellow marks (Jantarova Cesta) and then at the Polish side: red marks till the road and finally by blue marks to Samotnia: 3- 3,5 h

blue marks follows very picturesque Dul Bileho Labe (White Elbe Valley) and reaches Lucni Hut in 3 hours. (From here follow the tracks as described above: 4 h total).

by yellow marks reach Karkonoska Pass and then by red marks, along the main ridge of Karkonosze till connecting with the road and blue marks (from here as described above): 4-4,5 h.

Pec pod Snezkou version:

reach Vyrovka Hut by green marks (or first red then green) and then follow red to Lucni Hut (then by possibility mentioned above): 3,5 h.

by red marks through Lisci Hora, Chalupa na Rozcesti and Vyrovka to Lucni Hut: 3 h, total 4 h.

go by Obri Dul (blue marks) to Równia pod Śnieżką (Attention: closed in winter- avalanche danger!): 2,5 h and then by two possibilities described in last of the Polish routes: 3,5 h total. More details here: Obri Dul.

Trails from both sides go through national parks- be sure that you respect the rules!
Karkonoski Park Narodowy- Poland
Krkonossky Narodni Park- Czech Republic