Sněžka/Śnieżka

Sněžka/Śnieżka (a feminine noun in both Czech and Polish, which can be translated as the Snowy One or Snow White; Schneekoppe in German) at an elevation of 1602 or – according to the latest Czech measurement – 1603m, is the highest summit in the Giant Mountains, in all of the Sudetes as well as Czechia. It has 1203m of prominence and, standing on the border between Czechia and Poland, rises nearly 200m above the main ridge of the Giant Mountains. This is due to the mountain's geologic make-up: unlike its surroundings, it is formed of hornfels, which is extremely resistant to erosion. Until the 19th century Śnieżka was also known as Rieseberg, that is the Giant Mountain.

Studniční hora at 1554m across a corrie - photo by Tomas Kristofory 

Given the qualities of the rock which Śnieżka is composed of, it is no surprise that the upper slopes of the mountain are virtually devoid of vegetation and covered in talus. On the steep slopes of Sněžka and nearby mountains debris flows occur as well. In the summer of 1897, after two weeks of continuous rainfall, two most destructive debris flows rushed down the western slopes of Růžová hora to raze two buildings and claim the lives of seven people. Photographs from that time can be seen in a little chapel in Obří Důl.

The north face of Śnieżka

As far as the climate is concerned, Sněžka can be called the Central European Mount Washington, especially with reference to the wind speed. The maximum wind speed recorded on Śnieżka was 345km/h in 1990 (Mount Washington 372km/h in 1934).

On the western trail in winter - photo by Dziku 

The UFOs - photo by Dziku

Sněžka has been climbed for nearly or even more than 500 years! In Obří důl (Giant Pit), the uppermost part of the Úpa Valley, metal ores were mined as early as the 16th century. The popularity of Śnieżka soared in the 19th century when it was the highpoint of Prussia. There are a few buildings on the summit, of which the chapel of St.Lawrence, built in 1681, is the oldest. The biggest is the Polish 'UFOs' from 1976, which used to house a weather station, a mountain hut and a restaurant. But in summer 2016 only a buffet was open on the ground floor. Another building is a Czech post office, where you can buy postcards and similar stuff. The fourth structure is the upper station of a Czech cable car. 

Chapel of St. Lawrence - photo by Dziku 

There are many options, the most obvious of which are listed in the tables below. The asterisked routes are the most interesting in my opinion.

Poland

The uppermost part of the valley of Łomniczka boasts a nice post-glacial corrie and a 300-metre-long cascade. The two pretty tarns which sit northwest of Śnieżka - Mały Staw and Wielki Staw (Little Tarn and Great Tarn) are the biggest natural lakes in the Giant Mountains. The trail from Kowary has the greatest elevation gain and a romantic stretch along Malina brook below where once the hamlet of Forstlangwasser (today called Budniki) stood.

Czechia

• Dom Śląski at 1400m - a Polish hut sitting just west of Śnieżka, half an hour's walk from the summit
• Strzecha Akademicka at 1258m - a Polish hut half a kilometre northeast of Samotnia Hut, 1.5hrs walk from the summit
• Samotnia at 1195m - an atmospheric Polish hut by Mały Staw (Little Tarn), 1.75hrs walk from the summit
• Nad Łomniczką (Łomniczka) at 1002m - a Polish hut which does not offer accommodation, in the upper part of the valley of Łomniczka, 1.5hrs walk from the summit

• Luční bouda at 1410m - a Czech hotel with its own brewery, west of Sněžka, 1.33hrs walk from the summit
• Bouda v Obřím dole at 915m - a quaint Czech hut in Obří důl, 2hrs walk from the summit  
• Bouda pod Sněžkou at 950m - a rather pricey Czech hut in Obří důl, less than 2hrs walk from the summit  
• Jelenka at 1260m - a Czech hut east of Sněžka between the summit of Svorová hora/Czarna Kopa and Soví sedlo/Sowia Przełęcz, right on the border between Czechia and Poland, less than 1.5hrs walk from the summit

No accommodation here

• To get to Špindlerův Mlýn, leave Road I/14 at the town of Vrchlabí and drive north up Road 295 for about ten miles. From Špindlerův Mlýn it is possible to take a bus to Slezské sedlo/Karkonoska Przełęcz on the Czech-Polish border (private cars have been banned from the road).
• To get to Pec pod Sněžkou, leave Road I/14 at the town of Mladé Buky and drive north up Road 296 for about ten miles.
• To get to Malá Úpa, leave Road I/14 at the town of Mladé Buky and drive north up Road 296 for nearly ten kilometres, then turn right onto Road 252.
• Czech trains and buses

• The resort of Karpacz lies just 15km south of the centre of Jelenia Góra, a large town just north of the Giant Mountains.
• The town of Kowary lies about 17km southeast of the centre of Jelenia Góra, with which it is connected by Road 367. Buses/minibuses from Jelenia Góra to Karpacz run through Kowary.
• Jelenia Góra has good train and bus links with Wrocław, the capital of Lower Silesia. There is also a direct bus service between Wrocław and Kowary.
• Polish trains
• Polish buses