Zakopane

Giewont is the most popular Polish mountain. Nearly all tourists visiting the Tatra Mountains begin their climbing trips by reaching the top of Giewont. Start the trip to the summit from Kuznice. Follow the road to Kalatówki, and when you see the Albertine Convent turn left next to the fence to reach the blue trail. Follow the trail to the bottom end of the Polana Kalatówki. Pass the glade and the path will enter the forest covering the slope of Kalacka Turnia.

Then go along the moraine gully to and into Hala Kondratowa. After walking for one hour from Kuznice, you will reach the smallest Tatra lodge in Hala Kondratowa. From this point, follow the trail on the right side of the valley until you see it split into two paths. The trail will take the right path called Piekiełko (hell). A steep path will lead you to the mountain pass Przełęcz Kondracka. You will reach this point after 1 h and 15 minutes walking from the lodge. The closer you get to the summit, the steeper the path will be, and at the very end you will see chains to help you climb the most difficult stretches. Finally, you arrive at the summit marked with a 15 m high iron cross. Note: for safety reasons the trail in its upper parts is one-way only, i.e. looking from the bottom, you reach the top from the right side of the mountain and you descend on the left side.

A beautiful panoramic view of the Tatra Mountains and Podhale can be seen from the summit. Starting from Kuznice, reaching Giewont takes about 3 hours. The Giewont summit can be extremely dangerous during storms. Because it is exposed and difficult to climb, we strongly advise against any attempts to go off trail. Such attempts have often been fatal. In order to take a different route to return, you can take the red trail through Grzybowiec and the Dolina Strażyska valley. After climbing down the mountain to the mountain pass Wyżna Przełęcz Kondracka, turn right and walk along a steep path leading to the pass Siodłowa Przełęcz. Then, under the slopes of Mały Giewont (Little Giewont) you will reach the forest covering Grzybowiec. Go along the ridge to reach the mountain pass in Grzybowiec. Then, turn right and descend the Dolina Strażyska valley.

You will reach it after a 2.5-hour walk. A beaten track leads from the hut to Zakopane. It will take you to Strażyska Street in Zakopane. The whole trip takes about 7 hours. The path can sometimes be steep and exposed, and will definitely provide you with many exciting views and impressions. We recommend taking warm and rainproof clothes for protection from water and wind, as the weather in the Tatra Mountains can change very quickly.