Highlights:

• Difference of winter activities
• Marvellous landscapes of the Karkonosze National Parks
• Additionally, discovering the wild nature, contacts with the local population and visiting the most popular places
• Evenings in SPA zone in our comfortable hotel in Szklarska Poreba
• Night in Prague, one of the most beautiful city in Europe

Introduction:

Poland has a burgeoning reputation as a winter sports destination, with many fantastic places just waiting to be explored. One such destination is the Karkonosze Mountains. These granite peaks are the perfect arena for an introduction to winter activities. Our base is Szklarska Poreba, a resort with a wealth of pistes, trails and a great variety of terrain on its doorstep. Here we will have the chance to experience all the highlights of a winter holiday. We try our hand at downhill skiing or boarding, head out across meadows and through forests on snowshoes, and learn to glide through the beautiful scenery on cross-country skis. There are also visits to some local points of interest to get a feel for Polish mountain culture. We have a free day in Prague, home to a host of fascinating sites, such as Wenceslas Square, Prague Castle and the beautiful Old Town, the perfect way to round off a winter experience.

Day by day:

D1: Arrival in Szklarska Poreba
On arrival in resort there should be time to explore your surroundings. Accommodation for 5 nights in a comfortable pension with free acces to the SPA zone

 

D2-3: Snowshoeing in the most beautiful parts of Karkonosze Mt!
Snowshoeing is a fantastic way to explore the winter landscape, and is very easy to get to grips with. There are a number of routes and trails on offer in this part of the Karkonosze Mountains and your leader will judge the local conditions before deciding which route to take but we should be walking for between 4-6 hours in total, with a lunch break. Possibilities include the region of Sniezka or Szrenica, which are the most beautiful parts of the Karkonosze.

 

D4: Cross-country skiing and dogsledding on the Jakuszyce Fields
We take a short transfer to Jakuszyce Fields for an introduction to cross-country skiing. As a sport this is one of the most complete aerobic workouts, as its motions use every major muscle group. The skis are long and thin, the toe of the skier’s footwear is attached to the ski with a binding, while the heel remains free. We will receive instruction from the leader to ensure we have a grasp of the basics before heading out for a longer tour, gliding across the snow to the Orla shelter, where we will have lunch. After lunch we will enjoy further cross country ski activities as a group in a fun environment, we may even try a short race! This is also the opportunity for us have an introduction to dogsledding. A local dog provider and musher will bring us two sets of dogs and take us in turn on a short tour of approximately 4km. As a group we will alternate between the skiing activity and the dogsledding to ensure we all have the opportunity to enjoy each fully.

 

D5: Cross-country skiing
Now that we have achieved a good grounding in cross-country skiing, we will be able to furher explore the trails and landscapes available to us. The Jakuszyce Fields will again be our destination, as it is in fact the capital of the Polish cross-country skiing region with a wealth of options for a fuller day’s itinerary. Gliding across the snow in beautiful scenery really is a fantastic way to make the most of our stay here.

 

D6: Downhll skiing
Sklarska Poreba is one of the best Polish resorts for downhill skiing and boarding, with a maximum height of 1362m. There are approximately 13km of downhill pistes, with a number of pistes to suit all abilities of skier or boarder. We have the day at our disposal to try as many routes down the mountain as we can. Tuition is available should you wish, this can be arranged through your leader and is payable locally.

 

D7: Prague
Leaving behind our Polish base we will head across the border to the magnificent city of Prague where we have a day free to visit the world famous sites such as the Old Town, the famous Wenceslas Square and Prague Castle.

 

D8: End Prague.