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Krkonoše)
Aerial view over Karkonosze
Karkonosze Mountains (pronounced kár-ko-no-she) in Polish or Krkonoše (help·info) in Czech (known as Giant Mountains in English, or Riesengebirge in German) is a mountain range, part of the Sudetes in Central Europe. The name is fairly ancient, appearing in the name of a people listed in Ptolemy as the Corconti. It may be Pre-Indo-European. The meaning was preserved, appearing in mediaeval Latin Gigantei montes.
The mountains stretch from north-west to south-east and form the border between Poland and the Czech Republic. The highest mountain is "Śnieżka" (in Polish)/ "Sněžka" (in Czech), 1602 metres above sea level. Situated on the Czech-Polish border it is also the highest mountain peak in Czech Republic. Large areas of Karkonosze Mountains are preserved as a national park by both countries. The mountains are famous for its skiing resorts and are growing in importance as a less expensive and, in some cases, nearer alternative to the Alps for tourism.
Important towns in Karkonosze Mountains are:
See also
