Searching for gnomes in Wroclaw

August 21, 2026

Morning train from Karpacz to Wroclaw (1). The NlNary Magdelane Church here has a bridge high up connecting the two steeples. Open for visitors, we climbed while reading the story of the bridge of the penitent. A pretty young girl, with no interest in marriage or work, fritters her time away on dresses and balls. Captured by an evil witch, she is condemned to a life of cleaning a bridge. Another witch feels her plight and seeks the help of a blind wizard. Returning to the bridge to free the girl, the good witch finds she is already gone (2). The stairs up to the steeple feature what is supposed to be spooky music.

During the communist era 1980s, the government painted over protest slogans. The Orange Alternative movement then began painting gnomes over the paint-ocer slogans to protest. To commemorate the movement, the City of Wriclow placed a statue of Papa Dwarf (Papa Krasnal) on a busy pedestrian street. The hnomes gre from there; there are now estimated to be at least 1,000 gnomes in the city. Seeing many parents with young children searching for the statues with sticker books, we decided to do the same. As we found a gnome, I read a brief summary of the gnome translated from the book, before my wife rewarded me with the relevant sticker. Nice,  low-key way to pass the afternoon. 

Achieving about 2/3 of the stickers, we returned to the two-steepled church for a piano recital, mostly works of the Polish composer Chopin. The rain and gathering darkness limited further gnome searching, so we headed to the Cathedral Island/Ostrów Tumski neighborhood (3). When Wroclaw converted its gas street light to electricity in the first half of the 20th century, this neighborhood kept the gas fixtures. 

About 1/2 hour before sunset, the lampligher appears, donning a top hat and cape emblazoned with the city's crest. Accompanied by an entourage of gawking tourists (ourselves among them), he reaches up with a long pole tipped by a butane flame, and with a practiced hand, switches the gas on with a flick of a lever, and lights the four gas mantles on each lamp. Following for close to an hour, the rain convinced us to end the day as the lampligher neared the end of his nightly task. Home tomorrow.

(1) Another hiker at Karpacz station asked where we were from, and why we had come to Karpacz (of all places). 

(2) The story does not make sense to me either. I read a slim volume of Hans Christian Anderson fairy tales on the flight over that left me similarly perplexed.

(2) No longer an Island, but separated from town by the Oder River.

The day dawned clear and dry over Sněžka. Rain was expected at mid-day

On the train to Wroclaw

Views from the bridge at Mary Magdelane Cathedral

At Mary Magdelane

Help finding some gnomes

Papa Krasnal

Sysiphian gnomes

An antique car rally in Central Wroclaw

Playing Chopin

A practiced hand at work

The lamplighter's entourage

Rainy night in Wroclaw

Sněžka

August 20, 2026

A strong thunderstorm with vivid lightning rolled through about 2 a.m. In the wake of the storm, the air was somewhat drier this morning, there was some sun, and much of the ridgeline was visible. While the summit of Snĕžka (meaning "snowy") still had clouds swirling in the stiff southwest wind, we set off for the trailhead.

The wide trail ascends steadily before reaching a trail junction where we turned left/east. After the chairlift summit, the crowd increases. Passing Dom Slaski hostel, the sinuous ascent steepened, crossing the border multiple times. The summit trail was lined with chains to hang onto in the wind and clouds, the wind intensifying at higher altitudes.The lively crowd on this Thursday morning (1) seemed completely unbothered by the scudding clouds and strong winds, steady at 30+ MPH (gale force), and gusting close to 50 (2). People of all ages were out enjoying the day.

After 3.5 miles and 2,600 vertical feet from Karpacz, Poland, we reached Snĕžka, the tallest peak in Czechia. In addition to a weather station and chapel on the Polish side, a bistro offered food on the Czech side. The gondola from Czechia to the summit was closed due to the high winds, presumably reducing the number of visitors today. About an hour on the (relatively) large and flat summit was enough time to soak in the atmosphere, to enjoy the views (2), and to practice bracing ourselves against the wind.

There are multiple trails back to Karpacz. We opted for the longer Polish/Czech Friendship Trail (3) (4) east along the ridge, which was fairly clear; Snĕžka itself was blocking the wind and clouds. The crowd thinned out as we descended slowly, even enjoying some views into Czechia in the lee of the mountain. After a modest rise to Czarna Kopa, the descent steepened until Bouda Jelenka, serving more soup. While the Bouda/Hostel is in Czechia, the picnic tables are in Poland.

Turning left/north into Poland, an open area suggested a fire sometime in the not-too-distant past. Descent was via the Plomnica river down to Karpacz, returning to a different part of town than where we began. Another 300 feet up to a hotel brought today's total to 11 miles, 3,100 foot gain, and 3,700 foot descent.

(1) Most hikers came partway up on the chairlift.

(2) The vistas were mainly into Poland. The wind was pushing the moisture up the southwest (Czech) side of the summit, limiting visibility in that direction.

(3) Before their accession to the border-control-less Shengen zone in 2007, the two countries maintained border posts on the ridge. As near as I could discern (a), on the ridge east of Dom Slaski (including the summit of Snĕžka), you were considered to be in Czechia for border control purposes, regardless of your actual location. Czechs could therefore freely visit their country's high point, even though half of the summit is in Poland. East of Dom Slaski, you were considered to be in Poland.

(a) I had an old map denoting the border post locations of the former border posts.

(4) I greeted people with either Dzien Dobre (Polish) or Dobrý Den (Czech). Judging by the more common Dzien Dobre response, I surmised there were more Poles on the ridge today.

Wide path near trailhead 

Glimps of blue sky

Steeper trail was stone paved

Up towards the chairlift summit

Sněžka up there somewhere in the clouds

At Równia pod Śnieżką, ready for the summit trail

Up the summit trail

Upwind view into Czechia from the summit trail

The trail crossed the border numerous times

Almost at the summit. The building is a Polish weather observatory

Views downwind to Poland

Upwind into Czechia

Gusty winds

The gondola up from Czechia closed due to high winds

Tibetan prayer flags blowing in the wind

Chapel on the Polish side

Official summit post

Glimpse of blue sky from Sněžka summit

Descening to ridge trail east

Stay on the trail & protect the birds.

View into Czechia with Snĕžka blocking the swirling clouds

Still abive treeline, but low bushes appear on the descent

Looking back to Sněžka

Into Poland

The Polish-Czech friendship trail on thr ridge summit. Note the border marker; the ridge was a natural border for centuries, separating the Hohenzollern Dynasty (Prussia/ Germany) and Habsburg lands before World War I.