Ski Arena Szrenica sits deep in the hills of the Karkonosze Mountains in Jelenia Góra County. It straddles the rugged borderlands with the Czech Republic around four hours’ drive from Krakow. It’s an accomplished eight-lift ski field that’s perfect for combining a winter holiday in Poland with a spot of skiing. There’s a variety of runs, some fantastic scenery and great value for money to be had!
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The skiing in Ski Arena Szrenica
The five major runs of the Szrenica Ski Arena range from slow blue to challenging, forest-shrouded black. That makes this otherwise tight-knit resort a real player on the ski resort circuit of the south. It can offer something for virtually every type of rider (provided they aren’t after the moguls of the high Alps, that is!).
All the lifts start in the small little mountain town of Szklarska Poreba. They go up to the summit of Szrenica mountain, some 1,326 metres above.
The three largest lifts – Szrenica I, Szrenica II and the Karkonosz Express – take skiers to different sides of the mountain. One side offers a selection of small drag lifts and a clutch of blue and red runs. The other touts the FIS black run that winds its way for an adrenaline-fuelled two-kilometres back to the base of the lifts. Meanwhile, the longest run (Lolobrygida) is a dog-armed red that goes for a whopping four kilometres in total (yep, that’s pretty unheard of in Poland).
Potential future upgrades include connecting the two-kilometre black run with the base station via a second route. That will add some significant trail length to the grand total. Watch this space on that one.
Ski schools and the season in Szrenica
In addition to the more challenging runs that go from the top of the mountain, the resort also boasts a selection of nursery slopes. There are oodles of ski schools on offer in the nearby town of Szklarska Poreba. All runs here benefit from a good snow-making system, which does well to keep the season relatively in tandem with the higher-perched resorts across the border and in Zakopane (late-December to mid-March).
Where to stay for skiing in Szrenica
Given this region’s popularity as a year-round outdoorsy resort town, there are plenty of hotel options open to skiers…
For some luxury, be sure to check out the grand and opulent Hotel & Sound Bossa Nova, which follows in the Victorian style with its exquisite interiors. Or, there’s stunning Cristal Resort Szklarska Poręba, an aparthotel with modern flats and a lovely pool with views over the wooded hills.
Where to eat in Szrenica
Ski Arena Szrenica is home to all the usual on-piste Polish restaurants serving traditional foodstuffs. They churn out the likes of pierogi dumplings, zurek soup, and pork knuckles. Visitors would also do well to search in the town of Szklarska Poreba itself. There, joints like Kawiarnia Fantazja and Karczma Hutnika offer up something totally different.
Moreover, the nearest city, Wroclaw, there are also oodles of international eateries and award-winning restaurants to choose from. They can add a little bit of foodie pizzazz to a trip to Ski Arena Szrenica
Après ski in Szrenica
The après offering of this charming mountain town deep in the Karkonosze is far from wild. However, there are a number of places that do well to keep the energy flowing after dark. The action tends to start as the lifts close in the smattering of nameless bars that cling to the edge of the resort itself. From there, it’s on to Klub Jazgot, a quirky and stylish little dive that is sure to get visitors dancing!
