Climate of the mountains is cool and humid and climatic-vegetation belts are lower than in the neighbouring Karpaty Zachodnie (Western Carpathians). The region is characterized by high natural and touristic attractiveness. On Polish side of the border there are 2 national parks, 8 landscape parks and about 20 nature reserves.

Due to differences in geological structure and orographic relations 5 macroregions can by distinguished here, crossed by the Polish-Czech border: Przedgorze Sudeckie, Pogorze

Przedgorze Sudeckie occupies the area of about 2.6 thousand km². The region was created as a result of tectonic movements which separated one massif into two parts: a mountain part and a tectonic foreland part which remained a not very high plain with a few elevations.

Przedgorze Sudeckie is partly covered with Miocene sea sediments and Quaternary sands, boulder clays and dust formations similar to loess on which fertile brown soils were formed, causing agricultural development of the region. Forest lobes in the region are few and occur on higher elevations. Seven smaller regions can be distinguished within the province: Wzgorza Strzegomskie (Strzegom Hills), Rownina Swidnicka (Swidnica Plain), Masyw Slezy (Sleza Massif), Wzgorza Niemczansko-Strzelinskie (Niemcza-Strzelin Hills), Obnizenie Podsudeckie (Sub-Sudeten Depression), Obnizenie Otmuchowskie (Otmuchow Depression) and Przedgorze Paczkowskie (Paczkow Tectonic Foreland).

Pogorze Zachodniosudeckie (the Western Sudeten Piedmont) occupies the area of about 2.6 thousand km². The region stretches from areas of Dresden in Germany to Walbrzych in Poland, and partly lies on Czech territory. In terms of landscape Pogorze Zachodniosudeckie is an upland, made of different sediment and crystalline rocks, which reaches altitude of 200 to over 500 asl. It is dominated by agricultural areas with small forest lobes.

Kotlina Turoszowska (Turoszow Valley) underwent great anthropogenic transformation. Brown coal open-pit mining has left deep pits and high slag heaps.

The province was divided into 4 mesoregions: Obnizenie Zytawsko-Zgorzeleckie (Zytawa-Zgorzelec Depression), Pogorze Izerskie (Izer Piedmont), Pogorze Kaczawskie (Kaczawa Piedmont) and Pogorze Walbrzyskie (Walbrzych Piedmont).

Sudety Zachodnie occupy the area of 1250 km² within Polish borders. These are mountains which stretch from area of Zytawa in Germany to Brama Lubawska (Lubawa Gate). Tertiary tectonic movements elevated middle part of the region in form of Karkonosze mountain group. Karkonosze on most of their area reach altitude of over 1400 m asl. whereas other parts of Sudety Zachodnie usually do not reach 1000 m asl.

Strong urbanization and industrialization of areas of Walbrzych is the main source of threat for natural environment for natural environment of the province.

Karkonosze are the most important parts of Sudety in terms of tourism. They are well developed economically. Main touristic centers of the region are Szklarska Poręba and Karpacz.

Within the Polish borders the region is divided into 5 provinces: Gory Izerskie, Gory Kaczawskie (Kaczawa Mountains), Kotlina Jeleniogorska (Jelenia Gora Valley), Karkonosze and Rudawy Janowickie.

Sudety Srodkowe within Polish borders stretch over the area of 2100 km². Geologically the region has a channeled structure. Edges of the basin are Gory Sowie (The Owl Mountains) on north east and Gory Orlickie (The Orlica Mountains) and Gory Bystrzyckie (The Bystrzyca Mountains) in the south west. North western part underwent elevations in result of which appeared Gory Stołowe (The Table Mountains). Sudety Srodkowe are lower than Sudety Zachodnie and Wschodnie, only in few places they are higher than 1000 m.

The region is divided into the following mesoregions: Brama Lubawska, Gory Walbrzyskie (the Walbrzych Mountains), Gory Kamienne (the Stone Mountains), Gory Sowie, Gory Bardzkie (the Bardo Mountains), Obnizenie Noworudzkie (Nowa Ruda Depression), Obnizenie Scinawki (Scinawka Depression), Gory Stolowe, Pogorze Orlickie (the Orlica Piedmont), Gory Orlickie, Gory Bystrzyckie and Kotlina Klodzka (the Klodzko Valley).

Sudety Wschodnie lie almost entirely on Czech territory. Only the north-western fragment of the region belongs to Poland, which consists of part of Gory Zlote (the Golden Mountains), Masyw Snieznika (Snieznik Massif) and the edge of Gory Opawskie (the Opawa Mountains), occupying alltogether area of 730 km². The highest elevations, which exceed 1400 m (Snieznik 1425 m, Keprnik 1423 m, Pradziad 1492 m), are loacted in north-western and middle parts of the province. South-eastern part does not exceed 800 m asl. Here we can distinguish the following mesoregions: Gory Zlote, Masyw Snieznika and Gory Opawskie.