Szczeliniec Wielki - Skalny Labirynt, shelter, and viewpoints

Szczeliniec Wielki is the highest peak of the Table Mountains with beautiful panoramas, a shelter, and the Skalny Labirynt (Rocky Labyrinth) at its summit.

The Szczeliniec Massif, formed by an uplifted and fissured rocky block, is considered one of the greatest attractions of the Sudetes and one of the most interesting peaks of the Polish Mountains Crown. It's worth getting lost in its mysterious depths, squeezing through moss-covered steep rock walls, and visiting the observation terraces - especially since its summit was inaccessible for centuries!

The easiest and shortest trail to Szczeliniec Wielki starts from the village of Karłów.

• The trail through the Skalny Labirynt (Rocky Labyrinth) to Szczeliniec Wielki is paid and limited. During the season, it's worth buying a ticket online to ensure entry to the trail.
• Walking with dogs on the tourist trails of Błędne Skały and Szczeliniec Wielki is prohibited. However, you can take your dog to the PTTK Shelter on Szczeliniec. The shelter itself allows accommodation with dogs.
• Due to narrow passages, it will be difficult to navigate the Skalny Labirynt on the top of Szczeliniec with a larger backpack or carrier.
• You can get a stamp from Szczeliniec (e.g., for the Crown of Polish Mountains badge) at the ticket offices before entering the Skalny Labirynt, the PTTK Shelter on Szczeliniec Wielki, or the "Pasterka" Shelter.

History of the trail to Szczeliniec Wielki

The high and almost vertical walls of the block forming Szczeliniec effectively guarded access to its summit for centuries. The first known evidence of human presence was left in 1576. An inscription IHSV 1576 (In hoc signo vinces - Under this sign, you will conquer) was carved on a rock called Fotel Pradziada (Grandfather's Chair). The summit became accessible to tourists only after 1814 when Franz Pabel, the mayor of Karłów and the first officially appointed mountain guide in Europe, built 665 stone steps, which he used to lead guests to the summit 3-4 times a day. We still use these steps today!

Karłów - the gateway to Szczeliniec, transportation, and trails

The small village of Karłów is known as the gateway to Szczeliniec Wielki - it is where the shortest trail to its summit starts. The easiest way to get to Karłów is by car. The famous road with a hundred bends leads here from Kudowa-Zdrój. The whole village is focused on tourism, and there are numerous parking lots and accommodations available. The cost of parking is about 15 PLN.

You can also walk to Karłów from Błędne Skały along a beautiful red trail:

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From Karlów to Błędne Skały (Errant Rocks) - an excellent trail connecting the two biggest attractions of Góry Stołowe

straighten 4.7km

timer 1h 39min

north_east 190m

south_east 97m

If you want to try your luck finding a free parking spot and are not afraid of an even steeper trail, you can also try to reach Szczeliniec Wielki from the Pasterka parking lot.

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Szczeliniec from the free parking lot from Pasterka

straighten 0.7km

timer 28min

north_east 123m

south_east 20m

From Karłów to the Shelter below Szczeliniec

The beginning of the trail is dotted with stalls and food stands, but we quickly reach the ravine between Szczeliniec Wielki and Mały (Small), which we will climb using stone steps.

After gaining some height, we reach a trail junction where we turn onto the green tourist trail named after Franciszek Pabel. We exchange the rocky stairs for wooden walkways, rocky passages, and numerous viewpoints.

Shelter

Located at an altitude of 919 meters above sea level, just below the summit of Szczeliniec, the shelter is one of only two in Poland that can be reached only on foot. It is situated at an altitude of 905 meters above sea level. There is an observation point in front of the shelter, offering a panoramic view of the surrounding area and nearby mountains.

Skalny Labirynt (Rocky Labyrinth)

On the flat summit of Szczeliniec, there is the Skalny Labirynt, for which a tourist trail has been created. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office near the shelter or online. During the season, we recommend buying tickets online because the number of entries is limited, and there may be more people interested (the limit is 400 entries per hour). You can find the opening hours of the ticket offices here. However, entry to the trail is not restricted, and outside the ticket office opening hours, admission is free!

Highlights

The Skalny Labirynt (Rocky Labyrinth) on Szczeliniec Wielki hides many mysterious passages and corners, as well as extraordinary rock formations. Below, we will describe a few of the most important ones in the order they appear on the trail:

Fotel Pradziada (Grandfather's Chair) - the throne of the Spirit of the Mountains, Liczyrzepa

Fotel Pradziada (also known as the Throne of Liczyrzepa) is the highest point of Szczeliniec (922 meters above sea level). This 12-meter rock is not only the summit but also a fantastic viewpoint. In the immediate vicinity of the summit, we can also find two other interesting rocks, Wiedbład and Kaczęta (Ducks).

Małpolud (Monkey Man)

Małpolud (Monkey Man) rock is located near another fantastic viewpoint. In this article, the overuse of the term "fantastic viewpoint" is truly justified :).

Piekło (Hell) and Niebo (Heaven)

Piekło is a 25-meter crevice that we descend into through a narrow passage. The height of the surrounding rock blocks gives this place a unique microclimate - it's humid, cool, and snow can even persist until summer!

From Piekło, we ascend to Niebo (Heaven), which is another viewpoint:

Kwoka (Hen)

In a certain poem, a certain hen "treated the world with disdain"... Similar words could be said about the rocky Kwoka (Hen) from Szczeliniec - its ridge is located on the summit of the massif, with a view towards the setting sun.

At the end of the trail, there are more viewpoints, which we reach through narrow passages.

Descent from the labyrinth towards Karłów

From the summit of Szczeliniec Wielki, we initially descend using stone steps and then follow a path through the forest on wooden platforms.

Legend of the Castle on Szczeliniec and coloring page for children

Long, long ago, a gloomy castle stood on the summit of Szczeliniec. From morning till night, the creaking of old wooden doors and windows could be heard. The castle was inhabited by an evil sorcerer and his beautiful daughter. One day, a caravan from Africa passed near the castle, and the girl fell in love with a young, dark-skinned merchant.

Perhaps it was the sorcerer's curse or the anger of the Spirit of the Mountains, Liczyrzepa, that caused the sky above the castle to thunder at night, and a lightning bolt struck one of the castle's towers, demolishing the mighty fortress and turning it into a pile of stones. The castle servants, the merchant, and his exotic animals also turned to stone.

To this day, while walking on the summit of Szczeliniec, we will come across the petrified Monkey, Camel, Elephant, Black Man rock, and the Maiden.

How were the Polish Table Mountains formed?

During the Cretaceous period, when the land was dominated by mighty dinosaurs, most of our country was covered by a warm, shallow sea, and these areas formed its bay. Rivers flowing into the sea carried gravel and sand, which settled on the seabed. These areas were uplifted along with the Sudetes during the Alpine orogeny and have been subject to erosion and weathering since then. Uneven hardness of individual sandstone layers resulted in fissures of various widths and heights.

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Author: Krzysiek
Publish Date: 2023-11-01