Jelenia Góra is the largest city of the Western Sudety Mountains, with a magnificent view of the Karkonosze, and not without reason it is called the Pearl of the Karkonosze. It is the administrative, tourist and economic centre of the region as well as the capital of the Euroregion "NYSA", bringing together the border areas of Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic.

Jelenia Góra lies at an average altitude of approximately 330 - 370 metres above sea level and covers an area of 108.4 km². It stretches for 30 km, on the border of the Karkonosze National Park. The town is surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges: the Izera Mountains to the west, the Kaczawskie Mountains to the north, the Rudawy Janowickie Mountains to the east and the highest range of the Sudety Mountains, the Karkonosze, to the south. It is 60 km from the nearest border crossing with Germany and only 25 km from the Czech Republic.

Jelenia Góra is a city with centuries of tradition and numerous historical monuments. It was first mentioned in the 12th century when the first fortified town was built here by Bolesław Krzywousty in 1108. The town was granted town rights before 1281. It was not destroyed during World War II. A number of architectural monuments have survived to the present day. These include the Grodzka Tower from the 15th century and the Castle Tower from the 16th century. In the centre of the old town is the Town Hall Square with the Town Hall from the mid-18th century. In the centre of Jelenia Góra there are also historic sacral buildings: the Church of St. Erasmus and Pankracy - the oldest sacral building in Jelenia Góra (1552), the Church of the Elevation of the Holy Cross from the beginning of the 18th century - the largest church in the city, the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, now the Orthodox Church of St. Peter and Paul also from the 18th century, St Anne's chapel, located inside the medieval tower, or the Evangelical church complex from 1709-1718: the cantour house, now the parish house.

Jelenia Góra is also a cultural centre. Two theatres function here. The Lower Silesian Philharmonic, as well as many museums with and galleries where exhibitions by renowned European artists can be seen. Every year Jelenia Góra hosts, among others, the International Avant-Garde Theatre Festival, the International Street Theatre Festival, the Jazz Festival, the ZOOM International Film Festival and the Art & Glass Festival.