Welcome to Szklarska Poręba!

Szklarska Poręba The magic of the Region

As almost every other town, Szklarska Poreba has a something mysterious and unusual in its history, which tempts us to discover its every corner.

"The shafts in the Black Mount were extremely deep; therefore the miners had to go in before the first morning bells went off. After the vespers the work had to be abandoned, because of the presence of the spirits, especially the Riebenzahl. Soon, the good people hang a crucifix".

At the beginning of its history, Szklarska Poreba was the place where many people were searching for precious ores and gemstones. Nowadays, the town is a mineralogical capital of Poland. There have been classified over 50 minerals which commonly occur in Karkonosze Mountains, including many precious and semiprecious stones, such as crystal, agate, topaz, aquamarine and amethyst. Valonians were the main force behind glorifying Szklarska Poreba, as they prospered on the extraction of the treasures of the Sudeten Mountains. Up to this day one can find a real treasure in the mountain streams. In 1999 The Valonian Brotherhood was established to promote the town and continue the old traditions. While visiting an Old Valonian Hut one can get to know the old Valonian legends and partake in traditional Valonian rites.

Many spirits and legends connected with Karkonosze Mountains bring thrills and chills. However, most of them were invented by the Valonians to keep the potential treasure hunters out of the area.

The most famous legend tells of the Mountain Spirit called Rübezahl, also known as Lord John, or Liczyrzepa. In the legend Rübezahl falls in love with a beautiful daughter of the Prince of Swidnica and kidnaps her to his castle. To divert his attention the clever princess orders him to count the turnips in the field, and in the meantime she escapes to the valley to be with her beloved one. Since then, the Mountain Spirit is called Liczyrzepa (the counter of the turnips). The spirit plays an important role in the nature conservation and plays tricks on those not showing proper respect..