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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