Králický Sněžník

Králický Sněžník (Polish: Śnieżnik Kłodzki) is a mountain range and mountain (1,423 m above sea level) on the border between Czechia and Poland. It is located on the border between the Pardubice Region (Czechia) and the Lower Silesian Voivodeship (Poland).

It lies about 15 km northeast of the town of Králíky. The summit is directly on the border between the two countries, and most of the slopes are Polish. The area around the summit is protected as the Králický Sněžník National Nature Reserve. It was declared in 1990 and covers approximately 1,700 ha of protected nature with primeval forests, subalpine meadows, and unique ecosystems.

Kralický Sněžník is a popular tourist destination and can be climbed on the Czech side, for example, from Dolní Morava. Marked hiking trails lead from both the Czech and Polish sides and pass through beautiful mountain scenery. Not only from the summit are there beautiful panoramic views of the surrounding mountains (e.g., Jeseníky, Orlické hory, and other parts of the Sudetenland). Important European rivers spring from beneath the massif, such as the Morava, which is part of the Black Sea basin.

Today, the stone statue of an elephant, which stands just a few meters below the summit itself, is an iconic feature. It was created in 1932 to symbolize strength, stability, and endurance.