Swieradow Sky Walk

The Sky Walk at Swieradow-Zdroj is a modern timber and steel tower built beside the forest, with a spiral ramp winding up the outside so the climb is gradual rather than a stairwell. It opened in 2021 and belongs to a family of similar structures built across central Europe. The ramp carries you from ground level, past the level of the tree crowns, to a platform above them, so the forest is seen from inside, then from the canopy, then from above. The view from the top takes in the wooded ridges of the Izera mountains and, in clear weather, the higher Karkonosze skyline further south. A long enclosed slide runs back down for those who want it.

What to look for

• The spiral ramp - a continuous gentle climb rather than stairs, usable with a pushchair or a wheelchair.
• The canopy level - the middle stretch of the ramp, where the walkway passes through the tops of the trees.
• The top platform - views over the Izera ridges with the Karkonosze visible to the south on clear days.
• The slide - an enclosed tube spiralling back down the inside of the tower, charged as an extra.

When to go

Clear days from late spring to autumn give the view its point, and morning light is better than the flat glare of midday. Autumn colour on the surrounding forest is the strongest reason to time a visit. Summer weekends and holidays bring queues on the ramp itself. In wind or low cloud the platform is unpleasant and the view is gone.

Good to know

It is a built attraction with a real ticket price, and the view is of forested hills rather than anything dramatic, which some visitors find thin for the money. On busy days the ramp moves slowly with a continuous line of people. The top is exposed and cold in wind, the slide costs extra and has its own queue, and parking in Swieradow is paid and fills in season.

Nearby

The Swieradow spa promenade is in town below, and the Izera ridge trails and Jizera bike routes start nearby.