Szklarska Poręba without a car — how to plan the day

Szklarska Poręba is one of the few mountain towns where a whole day works without a car: the railway station is in the centre, and the trails start within walking distance. We run the Toy Exhibition at ul. Jedności Narodowej 16 and hear this question often from guests arriving by train, so here is what runs, what is closed and what you can reach on foot — checked in September 2026.

Can you reach Szklarska Poręba by train?

Yes. The main station is Szklarska Poręba Górna, where Koleje Dolnośląskie run a ticket office. The operator lists routes from here to Jelenia Góra, Wrocław Główny, Polana Jakuszycka and Harrachov on the Czech side. The “Bilet zintegrowany Karkonoski” and “Euro-Nysa Ticket” offers are also valid.

• The station lies in the central part of town near ul. Jedności Narodowej, so most museums are a short walk from the platform.
• For the Szklarska Poręba Średnia and Szklarska Poręba Dolna stops, ask at the ticket office or check portalpasazera.pl: Koleje Dolnośląskie publish no separate timetable pages for them.
• We do not copy departure times — they change during the year. Use the operator’s current timetable.

Are trains from Jelenia Góra running in autumn 2026?

Replacement buses run instead of trains between Jelenia Góra and Szklarska Poręba Górna — according to the town notice of 31 August 2026, from 31 August to 24 October 2026. An older notice from March 2026 gave 30 August–30 September 2026, so confirm the dates and timetable with Koleje Dolnośląskie before travelling. The operator’s station page still shows train departures.

The town listed the replacement bus stops: Piastowska/Kościół serves Szklarska Poręba Dolna, Górna 33 x Sanatoryjna serves Szklarska Poręba Średnia, and Dworcowa/Dworzec Kolejowy serves Szklarska Poręba Górna. We cannot confirm the exact departure point at the station itself — check the operator’s notice or ask locally. More: how to get to Szklarska Poręba Górna station.

How do you get around the town itself?

• Town bus lines 1 and 2 — a ticket costs 8 PLN from the driver, and the timetable published by the town is valid until 31 December 2026. The line 1 timetable changed on 14 September 2026. Check the routes, because not every stop is next to an attraction.
• The “Moja Szklarska Poręba” resident card gives free town transport, but it is for residents, not visitors.
• On foot — the centre is compact: ul. Jedności Narodowej and ul. 11 Listopada lie on the town walking route “#nawycieczkę z wózkiem” (3.9 km, about 1 h 20 min, easy), the only route the town describes as pushchair-friendly.
• The Tourist Information Centre at ul. Jedności Narodowej 1A answers questions about current changes. From 31 August to 23 December 2026 it is open Mon–Fri 8:00–16:00 and Sat 9:00–17:00, closed on Sundays.

What can you reach on foot from the centre?

• Krucze Skały (Raven Rocks) — two granite towers up to 30 m above the Kamienna river with a fenced viewpoint. The red trail leads there from the centre along ul. Sikorskiego, and from the church on ul. Mickiewicza it is only about 390 m and 10 minutes on a forest path. No entry fee.
• Szklarka Waterfall — about 1.8 km (roughly 35 minutes) on the green trail along the Kamienna river, or about 40 minutes on the yellow one; together they make a loop of about 3.6 km. The waterfall is in Karkonosze National Park, so a park ticket applies: 11 PLN standard, 5.50 PLN reduced, free for children under 7.
• Kamieńczyk Waterfall — about 50–60 minutes from the centre on the red trail according to trail descriptions, but since 16 June 2026 the red and black trail section from the car park to Rozdroże pod Kamieńczykiem has been closed until further notice, so allow extra time for the detour. The gorge has a separate fee: 16 PLN standard, 8 PLN reduced, helmet included.
• Wysoki Kamień (1,058 m) — the red Main Sudeten Trail starts right by the station and the tourist information centre: about 3 km and 1 h 30 min uphill, steeper than the route from Zakręt Śmierci. At the top there is a hut with a snack bar and a free viewpoint beside it.
• Sowie Skały (Owl Rocks) — the blue trail from Cafe Esplanada via ul. Obrońców Pokoju and ul. Franciszkańska. A short forest walk just above the centre, free of charge.
• Szrenica cable car — the lower station at ul. Turystyczna 25a is within walking distance of the centre. In summer 2026 it ran daily 9:00–16:30, and both sections take about 30 minutes.

Walking back from Szklarka Waterfall, take the green trail towards Ponura Małpa rather than the verge of busy road no. 3 — that is the national park’s advice.

Where can the train take you in the Izera Mountains and the Czech Republic?

• Polana Jakuszycka — trains stop at Polana Jakuszycka right by the Lower Silesian Sports Centre, at about 880 m. It is the easiest car-free start into the Izera Mountains.
• Orle Tourist Station — the yellow trail leads here from Polana Jakuszycka along an old asphalt road. From Orle it is not far to Hala Izerska or across the border bridge to Czech Jizerka — bring your ID card.
• Mumlava Waterfall in Harrachov — line 311 from Szklarska Poręba Górna via Jakuszyce, then the blue-marked trail on asphalt, about 1–2 km depending on where you start. There is no national park entry fee on the Czech side.

How do you get to Karpacz without a car?

The direct option is seasonal line 106 of the county bus network on the Karpacz – Podgórzyn – Szklarska Poręba route. We do not copy the running dates — it is seasonal, so check the current PDF timetable from the operator PKS Tour Jelenia Góra. The holiday line 116 ran for the last time on 31 August 2026 and no longer operates, so older timetables showing it are out of date.

When line 106 is not running, change in Jelenia Góra: by rail (or by replacement bus during the works), then by bus from the station at ul. Obrońców Pokoju 1B. In the centre of Karpacz you will find our Brick Museum at ul. Mickiewicza 11, with the entrance from ul. Konstytucji 3 Maja — LEGO brick models you start with buttons, open daily 10:00–18:00 except 1 November. More: Szklarska Poręba to Karpacz — how to get there.

A ready-made car-free day plan

Time	What to do	Tip
9:00	Start at Szklarska Poręba Górna station	The station has a Koleje Dolnośląskie ticket office. The Tourist Information Centre at ul. Jedności Narodowej 1A is next to it — a good place to ask about closed trails.
9:30	JUNA Earth Museum or the Hauptmann House	Muzeum Ziemi JUNA is open Tue–Sat 10:00–18:00 and Sun 10:00–15:00; the Hauptmann House Tue–Sun 9:00–17:00 from May to September. Both are within walking distance of the station.
11:00	Walk to Szklarka Waterfall	Green trail along the Kamienna: about 1.8 km and 35 minutes. Park ticket 11 PLN / 5.50 PLN. Walk back on the green trail towards Ponura Małpa, not along road no. 3.
13:30	Lunch in the centre	Restaurants cluster along ul. Jedności Narodowej — the same part of town as the station.
15:00	Krucze Skały	About 10 minutes on a forest path from the church on ul. Mickiewicza. Free, with railings at the top — stones and roots can be slippery after rain.
16:30	Toy Exhibition — Pop Culture Icons	ul. Jedności Narodowej 16, usually 30–40 minutes. Open daily until 18:00, and until 20:00 in the summer and winter school holidays — time enough before an evening train.

A mountain variant: instead of museums, take the red trail from the station up Wysoki Kamień in the morning (about 1 h 30 min up) and return the same way, or on the yellow trail via Zakręt Śmierci and Zbójeckie Skały to Szklarska Poręba Dolna station. From that station, Zbójeckie Skały is about 700 m and 25 minutes on the yellow trail, or about 1.3 km and 30 minutes on the gentler black one.

What to do without a car when it rains?

Every indoor attraction in the centre is walkable from the station: the Toy Exhibition — Pop Culture Icons at ul. Jedności Narodowej 16, glassmaking shows at Leśna Huta at ul. Kołłątaja 2 (Tue–Sat 10:00–18:00), the JUNA Earth Museum and the Hauptmann House. Places further away — the Termy Cieplickie baths or the Querion park in Piechowice — need a journey, so plan them with a timetable in hand. More ideas in our guide Szklarska Poręba on a rainy day.

See also: A free day of views — viewpoints with no tickets, Szklarska Poręba waterfalls in one day and Szklarska Poręba with kids.