Uli Kuenzel
My home base is Dresden, Germany. I am a Requirements Engineer and Pre-Sales Consultant in IT, mainly building web portals for the corporate world. Remote Gazette is a project I do out of passion after work and whenever I find somebody who has a story to tell about his/her workation 😉
www.remotegazette.com
Outline
The Giant Mountains are a wonderful off-season refuge if you want to escape from stressful cities and fast-paced life.
Being crowded in summer and winter as a destination for family vacations and winter sports, the region is laid-back in spring and autumn, and yet there is so much to do at these times of the year.
I went in September 2022 together with some friends and found it to be a perfect basecamp for ambitious hikes on well-maintained trails, complemented by good hearty Polish food served in cozy restaurants in the well-preserved mountain town of Szklarska Poreba.
Preparation
It’s pretty easy to go to Szklarska Poreba and find accommodation in spring and in autumn. Many options are offered via Booking.com. With a little bit of planning ahead, it’s no problem to find good deals.
Trains and buses go to Szklarska Poreba quite regularly.
Story
Location
Szklarska Poreba is situated at the north-western edge of the Giant Mountains in Poland, near the border with Czech Republic.
You can visit waterfalls, hike on the Friendship Trail and enjoy tranquil mountain resort life while being within reach of “civilization” ;-).
The peak above Szklarska Poreba and also the western starting point of the Giant Mountain ridge is Szrenica. It takes about 2 hours to hike up there from town.
Going to the National Park and hiking on the trails there requires purchasing a ticket, which helps to maintain trails and their ecosystem.
Traveling
Coming from Dresden, Germany, we chose to take the train via the Czech Republic. There is a direct train connection from Dresden to the Northern Bohemian city of Liberec. And from Liberec trains to the Giant Mountains run very frequently.
Accommodation
For a group, it is best to rent a house or a big apartment. After high season it is easy to find good options on the usual booking websites.
Work
Fast internet is usually not an issue in Poland. However, we found that in a remote place such as Szklarska Poreba it can be helpful to have a sim card in your phone as back-up in case the WiFi connection gets slow.
Community
To be honest: Szklarska Poreba is not a classical Workation or Digital Nomad destination. It’s a place you go because you fancy a stay in the Giant Mountains and take it easy for a while. Maybe you also like to hike or go skiing in the winter.
There is a hand full of good bars in the main pedestrian zone. We really fancied Browar Mariental, with freshly brewed beer and very delicious food.
Either follow this recommendation and go straight to the brewery or go along the main street and you will easily find another place to grab a beer or two. On the weekends it can get quite busy, as going out on Friday and Saturday night is an essential part of life in Poland for many people of all ages.
Conclusion
The area is super nice for a week or two off-season if you like hiking and good, hearty food :-).
It isn’t empty but at the same time not overly crowded, so you will find your spot to enjoy nature by yourself if this is what you’re looking for.
If you start to miss city life after a few days you can easily combine your stay with a visit to other cities nearby in Poland or the Czech Republic, such as Wroclaw or Liberec.
Helpful Links
- National Park Karkonosze website
- Bergnoma.de blog post about hiking in Giant Mountains around Szklarska Poreba(only in German :-/)
- Szrenica Hut