The Stone Mountains — known in Polish as Góry Kamienne — are one of the Central Sudetes' best-kept secrets. Wild, uncrowded and full of raw character, this ridge offers a genuine mountain experience without the tourist rush found in the nearby Karkonosze.

The range is divided into four sub-ridges: Góry Krucze, Czarny Las, Pasmo Lesistej and Góry Suche, each separated by dramatic river gorges. The terrain is surprisingly rugged — steep slopes, narrow crests and cone-shaped summits built from ancient volcanic rocks like melaphyre and porphyry, formed hundreds of millions of years ago. Dense forests cover most of the area, and on clear days the higher ridges reward you with sweeping views stretching to the Karkonosze, Sowie Mountains and Table Mountains. Morning mist rolling through the valleys gives the whole place an almost mystical feel.

Highlights:

• Waligóra (936 m) — the highest peak in the range, offering panoramic views across almost all of the Sudetes
• Włostowa (866 m) — a popular high point along the Pasmo Lesistej ridge trail
• Sokołowsko — a charming spa village nestled below the ridges, once home to a famous 19th-century sanatorium
• Krzeszów Abbey — a stunning Baroque monastery just at the edge of the range, not to be missed

Practical info:

• Best time to visit: May–October — summer for lush greenery and long days, autumn for spectacular forest colours
• Base towns: Mieroszów, Głuszyca, Kamienna Góra, Sokołowsko
• Trail difficulty: moderate — ascents are steep but short; suitable for active families and casual hikers
• Getting there: by car from Wałbrzych or Jelenia Góra; by train to Kamienna Góra or Mieroszów

For centuries this area was a meeting point of Czech, German and Polish cultures — abandoned villages and forgotten roadside shrines still tell that story to anyone willing to wander off the marked path.