Wielki Szyszak (1510 m a.s.l.) is the fourth highest peak in the Sudetes and the second highest on the Polish side of the Karkonosze — a wild, boulder-strewn summit that rewards those willing to step just off the beaten track. If you want a taste of genuine mountain solitude in one of Central Europe's most scenic ranges, this is the place.

The summit is built entirely from Karkonosze granite and blanketed in vast boulder fields, giving it a rugged, almost lunar character. Views from the top stretch across the Karkonosze ridge, the Jelenia Góra Basin, and on clear days far into the Czech mountains beyond. In summer the subalpine flora softens the rocky landscape, autumn turns the dwarf pine gold, and in winter the summit disappears into snow and cloud — a truly raw alpine experience. The peak sits within the protected zone of both the Polish Karkonosze National Park and the Czech KRNAP.

• Szklarska Poręba — Main Sudeten Trail (red markings), heading towards Szrenica and then along the ridge towards Karkonosze Pass — the marked trail bypasses the summit; ascent to the top is possible from the eastern side via a stone-slab path — difficulty: moderate to demanding

• No officially marked hiking trail leads to the summit — the approach uses an unmarked stone-slab path from the eastern side.
• The peak lies directly on the Polish-Czech border.
• The area is under strict protection of the Karkonosze National Park on both sides of the border — national park rules apply.
• The winter variant of the ridge route bypasses the summit from the south (Czech side) and is not accessible outside winter; in other seasons the trail runs along the northern (Polish) side.

Standing on the summit is a stone pyramid carved with the letter W and a stone eagle — a monument to Kaiser Wilhelm I, erected in 1888. The stone-slab path leading up was funded in the 19th century by the Schaffgotsch family, one of Silesia's most powerful noble dynasties.