Podgorzyn: Trails, Ponds and Tramway History

Hiking destinations with different walking times

From Podgórzyn (Tramwaj pod Skałką), a blue hiking trail leads via Przesieka to Przełęcz Karkonoska. The journey is estimated to take about 3.5 hours; continuing towards Śnieżka or Wielki Szyszak is also possible. This lets you choose between walking to the mountain pass and potentially continuing further when planning your day. Podgórzyn is also a starting point for hikes and cycling trips in the Karkonosze Mountains.

Another option is the black hiking trail from Podgórzyn Górny (Tramwaj przy Skałce) to Chojnik Castle. It passes through Zachełmie and takes about 1.5 hours. If you are planning a longer route, the blue hiking trail from Podgórzyn Dolny to Czarna Przełęcz passes through Zachełmie and Jagniątków and takes about five hours. These details and destinations can help you choose a hike based on the route you want and the time available, without confusing one trail with another.

Ponds, oaks and a rock fissure

On the edge of Podgórzyn lie the Stawy Podgórzyńskie, a picturesque complex of 22 fish ponds. The water shapes the landscape here, and the number of ponds makes clear that this is not a single body of water, but a group. If you want to discover different natural features in the area, you can make this one of your stops.

Another destination for a walk is Aleja Dębowa. The path is lined with a row of oaks more than a hundred years old. Aleja Dębowa also connects Dolny Podgórzyn and Cieplice as a walking and cycling route. Nearby, in the Podgórzyn area, is Rozpadlisko Skalne: a narrow, 30-metre-long rock fissure between several-metre-high stone walls. The oak avenue and the fissure offer contrasting features: a path beneath old trees and a striking, narrow rock formation.

Traces of the former tramway

At “Pod Skałką,” on the edge of Podgórzyn, a historic tramcar stands at the former terminus of the Cieplice–Podgórzyn tram line. It is a Type 5N tramcar, manufactured by “Konstal” in Chorzów in 1960. The tramcar recalls the former tram line, which was closed in 1964. Here, a particular vehicle, its year of manufacture and the story of a connection that has since ceased operating come together.

If you are interested in technology or local history, you can include this tramcar as a separate point of interest in your travel plans alongside hikes and nature destinations. The tramway history should not be mistaken for a currently operating line: the tramcar recalls the former connection between Cieplice and Podgórzyn.

Plan your stay around your interests

When looking for a holiday apartment in Podgorzyn, you can start by considering what you most want to experience during your stay: hiking trails with the destinations and walking times listed above, the landscape around the fish ponds and oak avenue, or the history of the tramcar. The approximate walking times can help you spread hikes across the individual days of your trip.

More pages about the area: Ściegny, Dziwiszów, Wojanów, Miedzianka, Sosnówka K Jeleniej Góry, Bukowiec, Mysłakowice and Milków.

Back to the main travel overview: Jeleniogórski.