The Underground Giant Mountains

The Mining Trail  is marked with thirteen stone signposts with a stylised image of hammer and pick carved in stone. It presents this part of the history of Giant Mountains which relates to mining traditions of Karpacz. .

Start the trip from the Court Linden (Konstytucji 3 Maja Street/ Kościelna Street) where the first information board is fixed. It will take you into the world of medieval treasure hunters. Leaving the park head towards 'Bachur' Restaurant. In the past a court tavern was situated here and village leaders organized court trials. Behind the building of the restaurant and the car park on the other side of the street there is a wooden upper Lusatian house. It is the Museum of Sports and Tourism, a next stop on the trail. You should enter inside and watch the exhibition that shows the origins of tourism in the Giant Mountains, winter sports development and natural environment. Opposite museum you can find an interesting fact, the shortest street in Poland, Dwarves of the Giant Mountains Street. Anyone who visits the street will certainly notice the stone with the image of a dwarf  and more perceptive tourists should notice small footprints of dwarves who often walk there. Now the trail goes down along Kopernika Street to  Obrońców Pokoju Street and turns tight. In couple hundred metres you come to Exposure of Hornfels (Odsłonięcie Hornfelsów), where you can see an outcrop of one of the toughest rock in Poland. This is also the beginning of a short the Geologic Track along which you may find the collection of huge rocks present in the region.

The Mining Trail continues along  Obrońców Pokoju Street in the direction of Wolf's Clearing. Turn right behind the Relax Hotel and left into Sarnia Street. Next information boards provide information on  mining traditions of Wolf's Clearing and the surrounding area as well as history of gold mining in the Giant Mountains. Sarnia Street leads to the forest where you have to follow the green trail which will take you to the former village Budniki and further to the Okraj Pass. The Mining Trail turns left next to the Wide Bridge (Szeroki Most) to the black trail. Then it goes along the the Płomnica River to Raven Rocks (Krucze Skały). The valley of the stream is rich in many unique and valuable minerals. As early as the Middle Ages, treasure hunters and gold diggers were scouring the area. Garnets were found here and in 18th century the garnet mine was opened. 

Walking along the creek you reach the Raven Rocks, a granite and gneiss outcrop having a form of pillars up to 25 m high. According to tales the oldest adits were created in Middle Ages as the memorial stone placed at the foot of the rocks informs.  It is said that in 18th century, Gottfried Exner opened to mines of kaolin clay, which operated to meet the needs of manufactures in Berlin. It was also believed that the owner of the mine earned 20 francs in gold per tonne of clay. As a result of this activity two niches were formed in one of the pillars. At present, Raven Rocks is used a climbing centre which covers several dozen of routes with different difficulty, and the peak of one pillar is a great vantage point over the Giant Mountains. 

From Raven Rocks follow the route along the river to Skalna Street. Then go through Skalne Housing Estate (Osiedle Skalne). It is a peaceful district of Karpacz with many villas and guest-houses. It offers spectacular view over the Giant Mountains and Jelenia Góra Valley. After that, follow the signposts and you reach the centre of the town from behind. Because the trail forma a loop you finish the trip in the park next to the Court Linden.

SECRET GIANT MOUNTAINS