GPX ViewPoland
Główny Szlak Sudecki
The great traverse of the Sudetes: four hundred and forty kilometres along the Czech border, from the Jizera massif to the Opava hills.
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465 m · 0.0 km
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- Distance
- 439.1 km
- Elevation gain
- 10,162 m
- Elevation loss
- 10,542 m
- Highest point
- 1,477 m
- Walking time
- 137 h · ~23 d
Estimated walking time (DIN 33466 standard) — breaks, meals and overnight stays not included.
Tracks derived from OpenStreetMap data, under the ODbL license.
The terrain
A string of rounded mid-mountain massifs linked by inhabited valleys. The trail alternates open ridges, spruce forests and passes through spa towns. Nothing technical, but the total elevation gain adds up: you drop down and climb back up at every massif. The stretch through the Karkonosze, around Śnieżka, is the highest and most exposed to wind.
When to go
May to October. The Karkonosze ridges have a harsh, changeable climate, where fog rolls in fast and snow holds until April. Autumn is superb there. In winter, the high sections turn into winter hiking, not regular walking.
Access and stages
Świeradów-Zdrój and Prudnik are both reachable by public transport from Wrocław. Allow twenty to twenty-five days for the full route, but the trail splits up very well: it regularly passes through spa towns and rail-served towns, making it easy to walk one section per trip.
Take the track into the field
The downloaded file opens in GPX View, which shows the route, the remaining elevation and your position on it — with no network once the map is saved.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this GPX free?
- Yes, no account or sign-up needed. The track is derived from OpenStreetMap and stays under the ODbL license: reusable, provided you credit the source.
- Is the Polish waymarking easy to follow?
- Yes. The red waymarking of the great szlaki is dense and well-maintained, with signposts giving walking times rather than distances — a convention you get used to quickly.
- Do I need a passport for the Czech border?
- The trail stays on the Polish side, and both countries are in the Schengen area. The border ridges can be crossed freely, which also makes it possible to sleep on the Czech side when that's more convenient.