Discover Kopaniec: Cultural Traces, Trails and Views

• The first church in Kopaniec is mentioned in 1399; the present-day St. Anthony’s Church was built in the early 16th century and is closed.
• Kozia Szyja is a viewpoint at 748 m above sea level.
• A trail about 13 km long runs through Kopaniec between Polana Czarownic and Kozia Szyja.
• The green “Obwodnica jeleniogórska” route runs through Kopaniec for 104 km.

St. Anthony’s Church links two points in time: the first church in Kopaniec is mentioned in 1399, and the present building was erected in the early 16th century. The church is closed. Its exterior facade features 18th-century Baroque epitaphs for the Menzel, Geyers and Hartmann families. The building also has a star vault in the presbytery, with ribs made of sandstone.

On the southwest side of the church is the mausoleum of Jan Samuel Braun, Kopaniec’s first Protestant pastor. The cemetery also contains the tomb chapel of J. S. Brenna. Kopaniec has three historic advertising columns; a medieval ceramic kiln is located at Kopaniec 145. The Kamienne Wały are a mysterious archaeological site that requires further investigation.

Kozia Szyja is a viewpoint at 748 m in the eastern part of the Kamienicki Ridge, which rises above Kopaniec. From the meadows near Kozia Szyja and the upper sections of the asphalt road, the view to the south takes in the High Ridge of the Jizera Mountains, including Wysoki Kamień and Izerskie Garby, as well as the Karkonosze Mountains from Śnieżka to Szrenica. To the north, you can see the Jizera Foothills with the Stara Kamienica hollow and Kopaniec, the Kaczawskie Mountains and Jelenia Góra. This northern panorama spans nearly 180 degrees and reaches more than 50 km.

Popiel and Młyniec also offer their own landscape views. Popiel is a 530 m-high mountain above the church; from there, the view extends over the village, the Kamienicki Ridge and parts of the Karkonosze Mountains. Młyniec is a granite-gneiss rock several metres high on the northeastern slope of Popiel, on the bank of the Kamionka stream. Kopaniec begins here. Młyniec offers a good view of the valley and the highest part of the village, especially in winter.

A trail about 13 km long runs through Kopaniec between Polana Czarownic and Kozia Szyja. Another route description also gives a length of about 13 km: it starts at Zimna Przełęcz, passes Bobrowe Skały, Polana Czarownic, Kopaniec, Kozia Szyja and Jastrzębiec, and goes past the ruins of Leopoldsbaude before reaching Rozdroże Izerskie.

In addition, the listed blue trail from Mirsk to Świeradów-Zdrój passes through Kopaniec. The green “Obwodnica jeleniogórska” route is 104 km long and also passes through the village. This means that two trail descriptions of about 13 km contrast with a considerably longer route. Check current trail conditions before setting out.

The “Caspar” oak in Kopaniec is designated a natural monument. According to information as of 30 June 2017, the Kamienickie Wzgórza landscape and nature complex was one of the four forms of protection in the Kopaniec area.

Another historical facet is the village’s development as a summer resort: at the end of the 19th century, Kopaniec made use of radon-rich springs.

Discover more destinations: Jeżów Sudecki, Stara Kamienica, Janowice Wielkie, Zachełmie, Bukowiec, Ściegny, Szklarska Poręba, Trzcińsko.

Is St. Anthony’s Church open?

No. St. Anthony’s Church is closed. Its described features include Baroque epitaphs on the exterior facade and a star vault in the presbytery.

Which trails pass through Kopaniec?

A trail about 13 km long runs through the village between Polana Czarownic and Kozia Szyja. The blue trail from Mirsk to Świeradów-Zdrój and the 104 km green “Obwodnica jeleniogórska” route also pass through Kopaniec.

Which viewpoints are associated with Kopaniec?

Kozia Szyja is at 748 m; from 530 m-high Popiel, the view extends over the village and parts of the surrounding mountains. Młyniec offers a view of the valley and the highest part of Kopaniec, especially in winter.

For the main travel overview: Jeleniogórski.