Czarny Grzbiet, Mountain ridge in Karkonosze National Park, Poland and Czech Republic

Czarny Grzbiet is a mountain ridge that stretches between two mountain passes and divides Poland and the Czech Republic. The ridge sits between 1400 and 1480 meters in elevation and is crossed by marked trails that connect to other peaks and mountain stations.

During the 19th century, mining operations extracted minerals like copper, lead, and gold from the slopes, leaving traces of this industrial past. This mining history shaped the landscape and drew early explorers to this mountain region.

The ridge carries three names: Czarny Grzbiet in Polish, Obří hřeben in Czech and Riesenkamm in German. Along its crest runs the red-marked Path of Czech-Polish Friendship, shared with a parallel blue Polish route between Sněžka and Pomezní Boudy.

The ridge is accessible via several marked hiking trails starting from different points, offering varying difficulty levels. Visitors should prepare for changeable mountain weather and wear sturdy footwear, as the paths cross exposed terrain.

In February 1945 a Junkers Ju 52/3m carrying wounded German soldiers from Breslau crashed on the southern slope in a snowstorm; more than twenty people died. Some men reached Růžohorky thanks to the pole markers on the Travers. The remaining wreckage, engines included, was flown by helicopter to Malá Úpa in September 1998, and part is displayed in the local information centre; a small memorial stands beside the Travers.