Przełęcz Karkonoska is a mountain pass in the central Karkonosze

Karkonosze

Krkonoše is a mountain range located in the north of the Czech Republic and the south-west of Poland, part of the Sudetes mountain system . The Czech-Polish border, which divides the historic regions of Bohemia and Silesia, runs along the main ridge...

 Mountains on the Polish-Czech border. At 1198 m (3,930 ft), it is the lowest point of the main ridge of the Karkonosze

Karkonosze

Krkonoše is a mountain range located in the north of the Czech Republic and the south-west of Poland, part of the Sudetes mountain system . The Czech-Polish border, which divides the historic regions of Bohemia and Silesia, runs along the main ridge...

 and, despite lying on the Polish-Czech border, Przełęcz Karkonoska, the Polish

Polish language

Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...

 name, has no Czech

Czech language

Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...

 equivalent. In the Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

, the area is usually referred to by the Špindlerova bouda (Špindler's Hut), a mountain hut located there. Another chalet, situated on the Polish side of the border, is called Odrodzenie.

Tourism

The pass is accessible by a road either from Špindlerův Mlýn

Špindleruv Mlýn

Špindlerův Mlýn is a town in the Czech Republic in the Krkonoše. It received its name after a mill belonging to Spindler's family, where neighbours used to meet...

, served by bus, or from Poland. The Polish road is said to be one the steepest roads in Poland with the average inclination 7.2 %, reaching 24 % at maximum. Although road quality on the Polish side is relatively poor, the pass is much sought after by mountain bikers. The pass is a hub of hiking trails, including the Polish-Czech Friendship Trail

Polish-Czech Friendship Trail

The Polish–Czech Friendship Trail is a public walking path in the Karkonosze Mountains . The path runs on both sides of the Czech–Polish border, along the main ridge and crosses or traverses all its summits. The maintenance of the trail is performed by the staff of both adjacent national parks:...

.

History

During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, the area was incorporated into Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...

 as part of the Sudetes. At that time, the Nazis held the allied prisoners in Špindlerova bouda. On the other hand, the Silesian (today Polish) mountain hut, was confiscated by Nazis as a property of a Jew and converted into a boarding house for Hitlerjugend members, and later into a hotel for Nazi officers.

See also

• List of highest paved roads in Europe
• List of mountain passes