Grodna is the highest summit of the Łomnickie Hills and a hidden gem of the Jelenia Góra Valley — a compact, clearly-shaped dome towering above the village of Marczyce and the Sosnówka reservoir. It's the kind of hike that rewards a short effort with a genuinely memorable summit experience.

The slopes are gently steep, with the top and upper flanks covered in deciduous forest mixed with conifers, while lower down meadows take over. The dome-like shape makes Grodna easy to spot from a distance. On the northern and western slopes you'll find impressive granite outcrops — Urwisko and Skalna Ściana, the latter featuring a natural rock window — well worth a detour for their geology alone. In summer the trail winds through shady woodland, autumn brings vivid forest colours, and in winter snow accentuates the dome's clean silhouette.

How to reach the summit

• Marczyce — blue trail, short approach, easy difficulty
• Jelenia Góra – Sosnówka — yellow trail passing directly over the Grodna summit, easy to moderate difficulty

Practical information

• From the Urwisko rock outcrop just below the summit, along the blue trail, there's a wide panorama over Grabowiec, the Karkonosze range and surrounding hills and villages
• At the foot of the hill, on the south-western side, lies the Sosnówka drinking water reservoir — worth including in your route
• Grodna is part of the Crown of the Polish Sudetes, making it a popular target for peak-collectors

In 1806, Count Heinrich XXXVIII Reuß zu Köstritz built a romantic viewpoint here in the form of a Gothic-style ruin — known as Heinrichsburg (Henry's Castle) — complete with a tower and landscaped walking paths. In 1816 the hill was even visited by Princess Izabela Czartoryska, who described her trip in her travel diary.