What to do in Szklarska Poręba when it rains

Rain in Szklarska Poręba does not have to mean a day in your room. In the centre and just outside town there are several indoor options — museums, glassworks and a multimedia amusement park. We are the family who runs the Toy Exhibition in Szklarska, so here is our honest first tip: on a rainy day every indoor attraction is busier than usual.

Is Szklarska Poręba crowded on a rainy day?

Yes. When it rains, people who planned to hike up Szrenica or visit the waterfalls look for something to do indoors. Museums, glassworks and pools fill up, and mornings are usually quieter.

• Arrive right at opening time — the JUNA Earth Museum, Leśna Huta and the Toy Exhibition open at 10:00, the Hauptmann House at 9:00.
• Check the day of the week. The Hauptmann House and the JUNA Earth Museum are closed on Mondays, and Leśna Huta only publishes hours for Tuesday to Saturday. The Toy Exhibition, Huta Julia, Querion and Termy Cieplickie are among the places open every day.
• Plan two or three attractions rather than five, and allow extra time for driving and parking.
• Municipal parking machines take coins only — you can also pay in the MOBILET and City Park App apps.

Which indoor attractions are in the centre of Szklarska Poręba?

• Toy Exhibition — Pop Culture Icons — ul. Jedności Narodowej 16. This is our exhibition of toys from several generations: LEGO bricks, Hot Wheels, Barbie and Monster High, Pop Mart figures including Labubu, and manga characters. Children hunt for hidden characters in quests and hug the teddies on the soft toy wall, while adults rediscover the toys of their childhood and play retro games on consoles. Open daily 10:00–18:00 (until 20:00 in the summer and winter school holidays); a visit usually takes 30–40 minutes and individual visitors do not need to book.
• Leśna Huta glassworks — ul. Kołłątaja 2. A show of hand-formed glass takes about 30–40 minutes, and afterwards you can join a workshop such as engraving a glass. Open Tue–Sat 10:00–18:00, with a break from 14:00 to 14:30; the last show of the day starts at 17:20.
• JUNA Earth Museum (Muzeum Ziemi JUNA) — ul. Jeleniogórska 9. More than 350 m² of exhibits about the minerals of the Sudetes and the Walloons, medieval treasure seekers, plus a section with minerals that glow under UV light. There are quests for children and free parking for visitors. Open Tue–Sat 10:00–18:00, Sun 10:00–15:00.
• Carl and Gerhart Hauptmann House — ul. 11 Listopada 23. A museum of the former artists’ colony in the writers’ home, including Nobel laureate Gerhart Hauptmann. From May to September open Tue–Sun 9:00–17:00, from October to April until 16:00. On Wednesdays the permanent exhibitions are free.

Jedności Narodowej and 11 Listopada streets are both on the town’s “#nawycieczkę z wózkiem” walking route, so between showers you can walk from the Toy Exhibition to the Hauptmann House.

Where to go indoors near Szklarska Poręba?

• Huta Julia Crystal Glassworks in Piechowice (ul. Kryształowa 73) — guided tours of a working crystal glassworks daily 9:30–16:00, the interactive Krystalium and workshops: glass painting from age 4, engraving from age 9. There is parking and a café on site.
• Querion Hypermedia Amusement Park in Piechowice (ul. Polna 4, Pakoszów) — an indoor park opened in June 2026 with a Flying Theater, a 4/5D cinema, motion platforms and a VR zone. Open daily 10:00–20:00, so it also works for a rainy evening. Minimum height is 90 cm, and 100 cm for the Flying Theater and Circulum 360°.
• Termy Cieplickie thermal baths in Jelenia Góra-Cieplice (ul. Park Zdrojowy 5) — thermal water pools, slides, children’s paddling pools and a spa zone, open daily 8:00–22:00. It can get crowded on rainy days; mornings are usually calmer.
• Novosad Glassworks and Brewery in Harrachov, Czech Republic, a dozen or so kilometres from Szklarska via Jakuszyce — 45-minute glassworks tours (in Czech) daily 9:00–15:00, a glass museum and a restaurant with beer brewed on site. Prices are in Czech crowns, and online booking opens 14 days ahead.

There is no water park in Szklarska Poręba itself — the nearest pools are at Termy Cieplickie.

Only showers? Short outings between the rain

A rainy day in the mountains often has dry spells. Use them for something short that gets you back to the car quickly:

• Szklarka Waterfall — about 0.5 km along a wide, surfaced path from the car park on road no. 3, roughly 10–15 minutes. It lies in Karkonosze National Park, so you need a park ticket: 11 PLN standard, 5.50 PLN reduced, free for children under 7.
• Krucze Skały (Raven Rocks) — about 10 minutes along a forest path from the free car park by the church on ul. Mickiewicza, with a fenced viewpoint at the top. No entry fee.
• Mumlava Waterfall in Harrachov — about 1.2 km along an asphalt road from the central car park, under 30 minutes. There is no entry fee on the Czech side of the national park, and it pairs well with the Novosad glassworks.
• Alpine Coaster at Esplanada — a year-round coaster at ul. Grabskiego 5a. The carts have small roofs, so it runs in drizzle, but the rest of the park is outdoors.

Kamieńczyk Waterfall in the rain? Better save it for a dry day: the approach is stony and there are metal stairs in the gorge. Also, 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 you have to take a detour. The gorge has a separate national park fee (16 PLN standard, 8 PLN reduced, helmet included).

A ready-made rainy day plan for Szklarska Poręba

Time	What to do	Tip
10:00	JUNA Earth Museum	Free parking at the museum. Mornings are quietest.
11:30	Glassmaking show at Leśna Huta	The show takes 30–40 minutes. Break from 14:00 to 14:30.
13:00	Lunch in the centre	Earlier than usual — before the rainy-day rush.
14:30	Toy Exhibition — Pop Culture Icons	ul. Jedności Narodowej 16, usually 30–40 minutes. Municipal car parks: 8 PLN for the first hour, 7 PLN for the second and third (2026 rates).
15:30	Hauptmann House or Querion	At the Hauptmann House the ticket desk closes 30 minutes before the museum. Querion in Piechowice is open until 20:00.
17:30	Termy Cieplickie	Open until 22:00 — a good way to end the day if the rain does not stop.

On a Monday the JUNA Earth Museum and the Hauptmann House are closed, and Leśna Huta does not publish hours for that day. Combine Huta Julia (tours from 9:30), the Toy Exhibition and Querion or Termy Cieplickie instead. On Sundays the JUNA Earth Museum closes earlier, at 15:00.

With children, plan more breaks and places where kids do things themselves — quests, shows, workshops. For more family ideas see our guide Szklarska Poręba with kids.

Raining all weekend? A trip to Karpacz

About 40 minutes’ drive from Szklarska Poręba, in the centre of Karpacz, you will find our Brick Museum, with interactive LEGO brick models you start with buttons. The entrance is from Konstytucji 3 Maja street, it is open daily 10:00–18:00 (except 1 November), and you can buy a ticket for it at the Toy Exhibition in Szklarska at an attractive price.

Is it worth hiking up Szrenica in the rain?

It is better to move a mountain hike to a dry day. The stony trails of Karkonosze National Park get slippery after rain, and the views from the ridge often disappear into cloud. If you still go, check the park’s tourist announcements first and remember that the park is open from dawn to dusk.