Czartowiec

Czartowiec is a 944-metre peak rising above Nowy Gierałtów, a small village in the Stronie Śląskie municipality in Lower Silesia, Poland. It belongs to the Złote Mountains (Góry Złote), part of the Eastern Sudetes, sitting directly on the border ridge that separates Poland from the Czech Republic, within the protected area of the Śnieżnik Landscape Park.

Where exactly is Czartowiec?

The peak lies southeast of the Nowy Gierałtów settlement, right along the border line that runs across the Złote Mountains ridge. This position makes Czartowiec a natural meeting point where the Polish side of the Sudetes joins the Czech side of the range — just across the border stands the neighbouring Špičák peak (957 m), slightly higher than Czartowiec itself.

What does the mountain look like, and what is it made of?

Czartowiec has a roughly conical shape topped by an irregularly formed, rocky summit. Its western slope drops steeply toward the valley of the upper Biała Lądecka river, and just below the top hikers can find several-metre gneiss rock formations along with scattered boulders. Geologically, the massif consists of metamorphic rock — chiefly Gierałtów gneisses, along with phyllites, amphibolites and crystalline schists typical of this part of the Sudetes.

Forest covers the entire peak. Lower down, a natural mixed forest of the lower montane belt dominates, giving way closer to the summit to a spruce forest of the upper montane belt with a small admixture of deciduous trees. Although the summit itself is wooded, a viewpoint lies just below it on the northeastern side, offering views across the surrounding ranges.

How do you get to the top?

The most convenient approach starts in Nowy Gierałtów and follows a forest road along the Wądróż stream. Czartowiec also sits on a longer ridge route that can be walked end to end: from Nowy Gierałtów the trail climbs over the Gierałtowska Pass (684 m), Pleśniwiec (790 m) and Orlicka Kopa (837 m) before reaching Czartowiec (944 m), then continues toward Špičák (957 m) on the Czech side of the border. This route lets hikers tick off several summits along the Złote Mountains' border ridge in a single outing, moving from gentler terrain near the pass to the rockier ground closer to Czartowiec.

Czartowiec and the Crown of the Złote Mountains

The peak is one of the summits included in the so-called Crown of the Złote Mountains and Krowiarki (KZKGP) — a set of selected peaks that hikers aim to collect as part of a badge scheme popular among Sudetes walkers. For anyone pursuing that goal, Czartowiec is a required stop on the list, which adds to its popularity among hikers exploring the area around Stronie Śląskie and Nowy Gierałtów.

When is the best time to visit?

Because the approach runs through forest and the summit itself is rocky and partly exposed, late spring through early autumn is the best window, when the forest track along the Wądróż stream is dry and easy to walk. In summer, the shade of the lower montane forest is a welcome relief on the climb. In autumn, the path can grow damp earlier in the day, and in winter reaching the summit calls for proper mountain preparation given the conditions typical of an exposed border ridge.

Frequently asked questions

How high is Czartowiec? The peak reaches 944 metres above sea level and sits on the border ridge of the Złote Mountains in the Eastern Sudetes.

Which mountain range is Czartowiec part of? Czartowiec belongs to the Złote Mountains, part of the Eastern Sudetes, on the Polish-Czech border, within the Śnieżnik Landscape Park.

How do you reach the summit from Nowy Gierałtów? The simplest way is a forest road along the Wądróż stream; a longer ridge trail via the Gierałtowska Pass, Pleśniwiec and Orlicka Kopa is also an option.

Is there a view from Czartowiec? The summit itself is forested, but a viewpoint just below it, on the northeastern side, offers views of the neighbouring ranges.

Which peak lies next to Czartowiec on the Czech side? Directly across the border stands Špičák (957 m), slightly higher than Czartowiec.