The mountains in winter can be very surprising, but also seductive in their beauty. Lots of snow can be a fun and active way to spend your time with your family. There are many trails in Lower Silesia that are ideal for children and families.
In our overview, we would like to show you 5 examples of trails that, in our opinion, are ideal for winter hiking. However, it is important to remember that the mountains in winter are demanding, regardless of the difficulty of the route, and you should always be well prepared when setting out in the mountains in winter. At the end of this post, we will tell you what we think is the bare minimum for a winter hike with children and what has worked well for us on the trail.
We invite you to read our post about 5 winter mountain trails in Lower Silesia ideal for children – if you have your own favourites, please feel free to share with them in the comments section.
1 Trail to Mount Jagodna - Crown of Polish Mountains - Bystrzyckie Mountains
Mount Jagodna is located in Bystrzyckie Mountains and it is its highest representative included in the Crown of Polish Mountains. The trail is characterised by a fairly straightforward and wide path ideal for hiking. In summer, it is always recommended for those looking for routes for a pushchair and Jagodna will certainly be a suitable route for sledging.
What is more, there is a lookout tower at the top of Jagodna, which may be an additional encouragement for children to take the trouble to climb the mountain.
A very important factor that makes Jagodna an ideal mountain for winter trips is the PTTK (Polish Tourist Country-Lovers’ Association) „Jagodna” shelter, where they serve delicious food. So you can eat here and warm up after a hike to Jagodna. In addition, there is a hill near the shelter where it is safe to go sledging, which will be an additional attraction for children.
The trail is often used by cross-country skiers due to its low elevation.
Walking time in winter with children: blue trail. approx. 2 hours.
Shelter: Yes.
Can you sled: Hill next to the shelter. Only sledge on the trail*.
Difficulty of the trail: Easy with few ascents.
Popularity of the trail: Highly popular because of the lookout tower.
2 Mount Orlica near Zieleniec (Duszniki Zdrój) - the highest peak of Orlickie Mountains
While on the theme of Kłodzko region, it is also worth considering the trail to Orlica, which also has a viewing tower. This trail is frequently used by cross-country skiers, so you can be sure that the trail is properly maintained. On the other hand, there is a bit of a downside to this trail, as it is necessary to maintain safety on the trail and be careful that children do not find themselves in the path of cross-country skiers.
At the top of Orlica there is a lookout tower with a covered picnic area, so you can always hide from the wind here and eat something to regenerate for the return trip.
Zieleniec is one of the largest winter resorts in Lower Silesia, so you can take advantage of the wide range of restaurants or accommodation here. If any of you, after hiking on Orlica, wanted to go a bit wild on the ski slopes, you can rent skis from the equipment rental and ski down the hill. It was here that we first learnt to ski, so we have a lot of fondness for Zieleniec.
Walking time in winter with children: blue trail. approx. 2-3 hours depending on whether you are carrying a child / or on his own feet
Shelter: Not by the trail – in Zieleniec.
Can you sled: Going up the mountain can be a problem as there is usually a lot of snow and the sled will easily get stuck on the trail. However, you can take the sled with you in the car and sled down the slope in Zieleniec.
Difficulty of the trail: Easy with few ascents.
Popularity of the trail: Highly popular due to the lookout tower.
3 Trail to Orle Tourist Station from the Jakuszycka Glade
The trail from the Jakuszycka Glade is another example of a trail we can recommend for kids who want to go hiking in the mountains in winter. It is a very easy trail with little elevation gain. The only difficulty is the length of the trail, which is about 9 kilometres in both directions.
At the end of the trail is the Orle Tourist Shelter, where you can warm up, have a bite to eat and take care of all the essentials when travelling with children. We completed this trail in the summer with a pram, so we know it is not heavy, and the asphalt road covered in snow is suitable for children to pull on sledges.
In addition, the entire Jakuszycka Glade is an area very popular with cross-country skiers.
Walking time in winter with children: blue trail. approx. 3 hours round trip.
Shelter: Yes, at the end of the trail.
Can you sledge: the trail is suitable for sledging, but be careful not to damage cross-country trails.
Difficulty of the trail: Easy with few ascents.
Popularity of the trail: moderate.
4 The trail to Skopiec - the highest mountain in the Kaczawskie Mountains range
The trail to Skopiec is another trail that is one of the simpler and easier trails you can do in Lower Silesia. Skopiec is included in the Crown of Polish Mountains as it used to be considered the highest mountain in the Kaczawskie Mountains range.
It is one of the trails that can be successfully chosen for children taking their first steps and, due to the low intensity of tourist traffic, it is possible to use a sledge and slide down the slopes available near Skopiec. An interesting spot, which you pass as soon as you start the trail, is a totem with hanging shoes. It is originally blue and the shoes on it are coloured yellow. The totem is an art installation made by local artist Magdalena Osak, who made it on the trunk of a withered cherry tree in 2013, giving it the name ’Into the Blue’. Originally, the shoes on the monument were installed on a totem showing that they were going towards the sky. However, people started attaching their shoes to the trunk creating a 'statue of a weary wanderer’. It is said that it is best for art to live its own life, but whether the creation of a totem made of shoes is aesthetically pleasing or not is not for us to judge.
It is certainly an attraction that will bring a bit of 'life’ into the hiking to Skopec.
There is no mountain shelter along the way, but as it takes no more than an hour to get to Skopec in two directions, we think there is no need to do so.
However, if you would like to eat something good and have a good time with your children on the hill, you can consider going to nearby Dobkow and visiting Villa Greta. If you have a bit more time, it is worth visiting the Sudetic Education Farm, which is a learning centre about the region of the Land of Extinct Volcanoes. You can also enter an earthquake simulator there, which will certainly be an interesting experience for children. The whole day is well organised.
Walking time in winter with children : The ascent from Komarno is a matter of less than an hour in two directions.
Mountain shelter: Not by the trail – we recommend eating out in Dobkow at Villa Greta.
Can you sled: Going up the mountain can be a problem, as there is usually a lot of snow and the sled will easily get stuck on the trail.
Difficulty of the trail: Very easy. However, due to its low popularity, it can be snowy / icy.
Popularity of the trail: Moderate.
5. Gediminas Hill in Szczawno-Zdrój - Wałbrzyskie Mountains
The climb to Gediminas Hill is a route made for children and parents. It is very popular in summer, but in winter it can also be a very enjoyable trail for families. The Gediminas Tower is probably the only lookout tower in Lower Silesia that you can climb with a pram/sled. In addition, the trail itself is very easy to get to, and as it is located in Szczawno-Zdrój, which is a district of Wałbrzych, it is a great idea to round off a trip to the Walbrzych Mountains region.
The trail itself starts at a large playground and there is a very wide trail leading to the top, which is often used for events (running or cycling).
If you are planning a family trip, the Old Mine with the SOWA Learning Centre , where children can see what mining was like in the Walbrzych region, will definitely appeal to them. The SOWA Centre is a new area of the mine where children can explore and create their imagination during the many activities the Old Mine offers. We, during our visit to the mine (and this was many years ago – and without children), had the opportunity to take part in a workshop on pottery making and it was really organised at a high level.
Walking time in winter with children : About 1.5 hours in both directions. It is possible to park the car by the playground.
Shelter: No. Rich restaurant offer in Szczawno Zdrój.
Is it possible to sledge: It is possible to enter the trail with a sledge. Wide road with moderate ascent.
Difficulty of the trail: Very easy.
Popularity of the trail: Moderate because of the lookout tower.
Trail summary and advice on winter travel with a child
The trails we have suggested to you are, in our opinion, among the most child-friendly in Lower Silesia. Of course, there are many more less known trails (e.g. in Kaczawskie Foothills or Rudawy Janowickie), but in our opinion they will not be suitable for families with small children. We have to admit that a trip with toddlers is already a big enough challenge, and even if you take into account the fact of constantly watching the trail or wading through snow-covered paths, it could be an easy recipe for discouraging winter trips with a child.
Important tips for travelling with children up a mountain in winter!
It’s worth remembering that the mountains take on a new face during winter, and even if you know a trail from summer as straightforward and inconspicuous, this can be an illusory image in winter. Snow on the trail or ice can take you from an easy walk to trouble. We recommend that you always have trekking poles with you on winter trails (you can hang them on your backpack when you don’t need them), but they always increase stability on the road. It is also a good idea to have boot tops, known as crampons, which also improve grip.
Another important thing is to go to the mountains on time. In winter, it starts to get dark as early as 4pm and the temperature drops rapidly. Checking the weather forecast before you go is also something you should have in your blood.
Good child clothing – depending on the age, a child’s clothing changes a lot. An actively walking and running child will need to be dressed differently to one who is carried or sledded. It is always important to remember that a child’s feet and hands are the most vulnerable to hypothermia, so make sure they have suitable socks on their feet and shoes. A small (wearable) child can also be provided with insulated foot pads. The child’s face should be covered with a protective cream.
*Sledding on the trail – a topic that is important as we often see parents who enjoy sledding with their children on the trail. Generally worth remembering. However, it is a different matter with the so-called sleds/apples that we are seeing more and more often about the fact that sleds and plastic sleds are not allowed on mountain trails. Sledges can only be used for transporting children and not for mountain sliding.
