Riesengebirge - Definition and Overview

Aerial view over Karkonosze

Karkonosze (Polish name, pronounced kár-ko-no-she; "Krkonoše" 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. 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 in Poland
• Szklarska Poręba in Poland
• Špindlerův Mlýn in the Czech Republic
• Harrachov in the Czech Republic

External links:

• Official Krkonošský národní park website (http://www.krnap.cz) (Czech)
• Official Karkonoski Park Narodowy website (http://www.kpnmab.pl) (Polish)
• Polish Karkonosze website and wirtual map (http://www.karkonosze.popracy.pl) (Polish)
• Polen Riesengebirge (http://www.e-riesengebirge.de) (Deutsch)