Aerial view over Karkonosze

Karkonosze (Polish name, pronounced kár-ko-no-she; in Czech; "Riesengebirge" in German) or Giant Mountains are part of the Sudetes Mountains in Central Europe. They stretch from north-west to south-east and form the border between Poland and the Czech Republic. The highest mountain is Snezka (1602 metres above sea level - "Sněžka" in Czech, "Śnieżka" in Polish) situated on the Czech-Polish border is also the highest mountain peak in Czech Republic. Large areas of Karkonosze Mountains are preserved as a national park by both countries. The Karkonosze mountains are famous for its skiing resorts and are growing in importance as a cheaper and, in some cases, nearer alternative to the Alps for tourism.

Important towns in Karkonosze are:

• Karpacz ski resort in Poland
• Szklarska Poręba ski resort in Poland
• Špindlerův Mlýn mountain resort in the Czech Republic
• Harrachov in the Czech Republic
• Pec pod Sněžkou mountain resort in the Czech Republic

External links:

• Official Krkonošsky´národní park website (Czech)
• Official Karkonoski Park Narodowy website (Polish)
• Portal for Krkonose region (Czech, German, English)
• Polish Karkonosze website and virtual map (Polish)
• Polen Riesengebirge (German)