Mountain ranges in Poland

Tatra Mountains and Pieniny Mountains

Poland is a relatively low-lying country. More than 90% percent of its territory lies ca 300 m above sea level, but there are three main mountain ranges located mainly in the southern part of the country. They run in a direction from west to east and include the Carpathian Mountains (Carpathians), the Sudety Mountains (Sudetes), and the Świętokrzyskie Mountains (Holy Cross Mountains).  All of these mountain ranges, except for the Świętokrzyskie Mountains form a natural southern border of Poland.

Sudetes

Śnieżka (1603 m a.s.l.)  - the highest peak of Karkonosze Mountains

Sudetes (Sudety Mountains)

The Sudetes stretches from eastern Germany along the south-western Poland. The highest peak of the range is Śnieżka in the Karkonosze Mountains (Giant Mountains) on the Czechia-Poland border, which is 1,603 metres in elevation. The Sudetes are usually divided into Eastern Sudetes (in Poland are two ranges: Golden Mountains and Śnieżnik Mountains), Central Sudetes (in Poland: Bardzkie Mountains, Bystrzyckie Mountains, Orlickie Mountains, Stołowe Mountains (Table Mountains) and Western Sudetes (in Poland: Jizera Mountains, Kaczawskie Mountains, Karkonosze (Giant Mountains)  and Rudawy Janowickie)

Karkonosze Mountains

Table Mountains

There is a long-distance hiking trail in the Polish part of Sudetes. Main Sudetes Trail is running along the Sudetes and the total length of this route is 350 km. The trail starts in Świeradów Zdrój in the Jizera Mountains and running through the most beautiful parts of Polish Sudetes (including Karkonosze National Park and Table Mountains National Park), and ends in the Opawskie Mountains.

Sudetes


Carpathians (Carpathian Mountains)

The Carpathians in Poland are usually divided into two major parts: the Western Carpathians and the Eastern Carpathians. Most of these mountain ranges don't rise to more than 1,700 m above sea level. The highest mountain range within the Carpathians is the Tatras (Tatra Mountains), found on the border of Poland and Slovakia, where the highest peaks exceed 2000 m, and their highest peak being Rysy, rising to 2,499 m above sea level. The Tatra Mountains are the only part of Carpathians, that present extremely Alpine characteristics, it means there are five climatic-vegetation belts in the mountains.

Tatra Mountains

Tarta Mountains

The Carpathians in Poland except for the Tatras are also named Beskids (Beskidy Mountains). This is a traditional name for a series of mountain ranges in the Carpathians, stretching from the Czech Republic in the west along the border of Poland with Slovakia up to Ukraine in the east.

Island Beskids

Żywiec Beskids

Beskids are traditional divided into Western Beskids (in Poland are: Silesian Beskids, Żywiec Beskids, Little Beskids, Maków Beskids, Island Beskids, Gorce Mountains, Sącz Beskids and Pieniny Mountains), and Eastern Beskids (in Poland are: Low Beskids and Bieszczady Mountains).

Sącz Beskids

Gorce Mountains

Through the most beautiful places in the Beskids leads the Kazmierz Sosnowski Main Beskid Trail. This is a long-distance trail (about 496 km) marked in red that leads from Ustroń in the Silesian Beskids to Wołosate in the Bieszczady Mountains. It covers the highest and most beautiful parts of the Polish Beskids. 

Pieniny Mountains

Żywiec Beskids

Świętokrzyskie Mountains (Holly Cros Mountains)

The Świętokrzyskie Mountains located in central Poland, are one of the oldest mountain ranges in Europe. These mountains consist of a number of separate ranges, with the highest being Łysogóry (lit. bald mountains). Together with the Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska, they form a region called the Lesser Poland Uplands (Wyżyna Małopolska) and date back to the Caledonian Orogeny of the Silurian period and then were rejuvenated in the Hercynian Orogeny of the Upper Carboniferous period.

Silesian Beskids

Sudetes

There are nine National Parks in Poland where protected rich mountains nature (for a total amount of 22 National Parks in the country): Babia Góra National Park (Babia Góra Massif in Żywiec Beskids), Bieszczady National Park, Tatra National Park, Karkonosze National Park, Stołowe Mountains National Park, Gorce National Park, Pieniny National Park, Magura National Park (Low Beskids), Świętokrzyski National Park. Four of them are UNESCO Biosphere reserves.
There are also many other protected areas in the Polish mountains such as Landscape Parks and Nature Reserves.

Sącz Beskids

Pieniny Mountains

There are many tourist attractions in Polish mountains, including beautiful views, stunning nature, historic architecture (eg. wooden churches in Beskids, old mountain chalets and hotels) and the skiing resorts. There is also popular hiking and skiing area. 
In 1997, the idea of the Crown of the Polish Mountains was created. The Crown of Polish Mountains (Korona Gór Polski) consists of 28 peaks- the highest one of each mountain range in Poland. The intention of the whole idea was to promote mountain ranges in Poland, show the beauty, history, geology and culture of these regions. The peaks are easily accessible and many tourists visit these mountains while travelling around Poland.

You might also read my articles about Polish mountain ranges (click to see)

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This post is linked at: 
    The Weekly Postcard

Comments

  1. Since I live in a mountainous state in the USA, I really enjoyed seeing your beautiful photography of the mountains of Poland, especially the Carpathian Range, as I believe I have ancestors that came from that area.

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  2. Beautiful pics. I learned something because of you. I had never thought of Poland as having mountain ranges.

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  3. All very beautiful ~ magnificent photography ~ thanks,

    Wishing you a fun week ~ thanks ~ ^_^

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  4. I love this series of photos, you've captured many incredible ones here. I live in a mountainous area and this is my favorite scenery.

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  5. Fabulous pictures! Absolutely!

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  6. The first photo of the Tatra mountains with low lying clouds in the valley is wonderful (actually, all the photos are great but this one really stands out in my mind). I also like the limestone formation in the Table Mountains photo. Thanks for sharing.

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  7. OMG, they are all perfectly beautiful. I can't imagine that Śnieżka, which is mostly rocks. I wonder if that is still with topsoil with vegetation in the centuries past.

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  8. Wow - each shot is more beautiful than the last!

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  9. Kolejna kolekcja wspaniałych widoków:)

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  10. Truly amazing. Awesome pics.

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  11. So many amazing photos - thank you for sharing!

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  12. Your photography is stunning. You are quite talented. My grandparents immigrated to the USA from Poland. I have never been there. I'm surprised to see that they have some mountains there.

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  13. Piękne góry nasze... pozdrawiam

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  14. That's stunning. You never hear of tourists visiting the mountains - clearly they should!

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  15. wow what an amazing view!

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  16. Beautiful! I especially love the photo with the light rays coming through the clouds.

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  17. GORGEOUS photos! Wow, it must have taken you a long time to get around to all the Polish mountain ranges. I've been to Poland a couple of times, but sadly not to any of the mountains. I absolutely adore the photo of Silesian Beskids... it looks so magical.

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  18. ...what gorgeous views from "the top of the world."

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  19. Beautiful landscape! Didn't realize Poland had so many mountains as I had thought it was practically all flat, as you clearly stated! #WanderfulWednesday

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  20. Stunning photos of simply breathtaking views. The Tatra Mountains - WOW! #WanderfulWednesday

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  21. Beautiful! I love landscape photographs. The Table Mountain formation is so different, beautiful!

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  22. I would love to explore Poland's mountains one day! The Tatra mountains particularly look so dramatic!

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  23. These are just consistently beautiful views. I kept choosing my favourite as I scrolled through, but it kept changing because they're all so gorgeous. Congrats on this post, it's fantastic! #WanderfulWednesday

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  24. When I was young, I lived by the Sandia Mountains, Albuquerque, NM. I miss the mountains so much now that I live in the flat lands of Illinois. Poland has the most beautiful mountains I have ever seen via your photographs! As I scrolled down I was in awe at each individual image. Wishing I could see this in person.....sigh.

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  25. Wow!! When I think of Poland, I don't think of mountain ranges, but wow - these are so beautiful!! :)

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  26. Hello, beautiful mountain scenery! Wonderful collection of photos. Have a happy day and weekend ahead!

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  27. One of my best friends is a Polish guy who lives in Warsaw and I never thought that Poland has these amazing mountains! Thank you for sharing these to us! They all look wallpaper-worthy shots :)

    Steve

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  28. wow, I was about to say your first shot was super, still is. But when I scrolled down and found photo after photo all amazing. Beautiful and wonderful. Wish I had been thee too.

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  29. Wow, stunning photography! So much natural beauty. The Table Mountains look so unusual and interesting!

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  30. They are all so beautiful. I spent ages enjoying these images

    Mollyx

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  31. Wow - stunning mountainscapes.

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  32. what a wonderful selection - different seasons, different time of day, different weather conditions.... beautiful landscapes and shots.

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  33. Really breathtaking views and scenery from your beautiful mountain ranges!
    Thank you!

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  34. Grandiose! Absolutely awesome! A beautiful view! Thanks for the great pictures!

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  35. I had no idea that Poland had so many mountains! What an amazing place to live. The Table Mountains looked particularly intriguing with their unusual shapes.

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  36. I didn't think Poland would be so low. I don't know why
    #wkendtravelinspiration

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  37. Totally stunning at all times of the year.

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  38. Thank you for these impressive and expressive photos of your beautiful country.

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  39. incredible indeed! What a great series of photos! Wish I could visit them all

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  40. Oh, just stunning landscape shots. Wonderful to see, thank you for sharing such beauty...

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  41. Awesome photos! I would love to explore Table mountain national park and the Carpathian mountains. Thanks for sharing these #wkndtravelinspiration

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  42. Wonderful shots! So many outstanding ones!

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  43. Such beautiful images, a completely different side to Poland from what I know! #TheWeeklyPostcard

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  44. truly amazing moutains

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  45. Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous! Other than the Carpathian Mountains I am not acquainted with any of the other ranges, but they surely took majestic. #TheWeeklyPostcard

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  46. Did not know there were this many mountain ranges in Poland! Thank you so much for enlightening us about them. And stunning photography! Many many thanks for sharing them also with ALL SEASONS! Love to get to see so much of your country!
    Since I live about half way (3000 feet), I probably would enjoy the the Tatra mountains the most.

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  47. I never thought of Poland as a mountainous country, yet there they are! Spectacular photography Jarek! #wkendtravelinspiration

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  48. Beautiful photos! Well worth visiting.

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  49. Absolutely stunning! Thanks for sharing!

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  50. Piękne mamy góry i widać to zresztą na Twoich cudownych zdjęciach :)

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  51. Przepiękne zdjęcia. Nie wiem, które mi się najbardziej podoba. Wszystkie :) Pozdrawiam znad morza.

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  52. So, so gorgeous!! Lovely views from all of these mountains! Incredible sights, stunning places to learn about and to admire the nature. Gorgoeus collection of captures!
    Best regards and a very wonderful Spring in April!

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  53. Great photos! I knew Poland has mountains, but had no idea the areas were so picturesque! Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard!

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  54. Your photos are beautiful! I don't know too much about Poland and didn't even realize they had these mountain ranges. What great places to admire the panoramic views and get in touch with nature. I love that photo of Silesian Beskids - it looks so mysterious.

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  55. So many stunning mountain views. Breathtaking series of scenes.

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  56. Super wyszło z tymi chmurami :)

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  57. I was curious if you ever thought of changing the structure of your website?
    Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe
    you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better.
    Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or 2 pictures.
    Maybe you could space it out better?

    ReplyDelete

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