Trzy Świnki, Rock formation in Karkonosze National Park, Poland and Czech Republic

Trzy Świnki is a group of granite rock castles up to 8 m high on the southern slopes of Szrenica, at the start of the Polish-Czech Friendship Road. The porphyritic granite shows large cream feldspar crystals and aplite veins cracked into chessboard-like cubes.

The granite tors most likely date from the Pleistocene, and their final shape results from multi-stage granite weathering influenced by periodic thawing, vegetation and the varying resistance of minerals. They stand on both sides of the state border, within Karkonoski Park Narodowy in Poland and Krkonošský národní park in Czechia.

The name Trzy Świnki (Czech Svinské kameny, German Sausteine) comes from a Karkonosze legend: the mountain spirit Liczyrzepa (Krakonoš) herded pigs for a greedy farmer who hid three animals to avoid paying him. The spirit inflated the pigs until they burst and turned them to stone.

Hikers reach the rock pillars via well-marked trails from Szklarska Poręba, with spring through autumn offering the best visibility. Winter access is more challenging and paths can be slippery, so visitors should check local conditions beforehand.

The aplite veins cutting the porphyritic granite are sometimes cracked into regular chessboard-like cubes, a pattern visible on the rock surfaces. The outcrops lie on both sides of the state border, within Karkonoski Park Narodowy in Poland and Krkonošský národní park in Czechia.