Karpacz, Poland

Karpacz occupies an enormous area for a place with only a few thousand permanent inhabitants. It's a fairly characterless place if the centre of town is all you see, but the sheer range of easily accessible hikes in the neighbouring mountains make this the most versatile of Silesia's highland resorts.

Karpacz is a long, thin settlement built along the main road, ulica 3 Maja (ul. Karkonoska in its upper reaches), which stretches and curves uphill for some five kilometres. Most tourist facilities are located in Karpacz Dolny (Lower Karpacz), at the lower, eastern end of the resort, although Karpacz Górny (Upper Karpacz), up the valley to the west, has its fair share of hotels and pensions. In between lies the Biay Jar roundabout, which is the main starting point for most of the hiking trails.