Szklarki Waterfall is one of the most rewarding natural sights in the Polish Karkonosze Mountains — a broad, spiralling cascade dropping 13.3 metres into a scenic plunge pool, and all of it reachable in just a short, easy walk from the car park. If you are looking for a wow moment that does not require a full day of hiking, this is your place.

Sitting at 525 m above sea level within the administrative boundaries of Piechowice, the waterfall forms an exclave of Karkonosze National Park. The surrounding landscape is classically Sudeten: dense forest, mossy rocks and the constant sound of rushing water create a wonderfully wild atmosphere. The cascade is impressive in every season — thundering after spring snowmelt, refreshingly cool in summer, and sculpted into dramatic ice formations in winter. On the left side of the falls you can spot 'marmites' — pot-holes carved into the bedrock by centuries of swirling water.

How to get there

• From the waterfall car park — a wide, well-maintained path leads directly to a viewing platform; easy difficulty, wheelchair accessible.
• Circular trail around Szklarska Poręba — allows you to combine the waterfall with a longer walk through the area.
• Trail from Piechowice to PTTK mountain hut 'Pod Łabskim Szczytem' — passes close to the waterfall.

Practical information

• Entry to Karkonosze National Park requires a paid ticket.
• The path to the waterfall is accessible for wheelchair users.
• The 'Kochanówka' guesthouse, open since 1868, is located right next to the falls.

In the summer of 1800, the waterfall was visited by John Quincy Adams — then the American ambassador to Prussia and later the 6th President of the United States — making this one of the most historically storied viewpoints in the entire Karkonosze range.