Romanka (1,366 m a.s.l.) is one of the highest peaks of the Żywiec Beskids (or, as the authors of the latest regionalization suggest, the Żywiec-Orava Beskids). It is primarily known for its priceless forest complex, protected within the “Romanka Nature Reserve” established in 1963. Rysianka, on the other hand, is an extraordinary peak, undeniably one of the most beautiful in the entire Western Beskids. This is all thanks to the vast viewing clearing spread across its south-eastern slopes. The clearing offers an incredible panorama of the Beskid “royal couple” – Queen Babia Góra and King Pilsko. In its upper part, you will find the well-known and popular PTTK mountain hut. All of this makes Rysianka a beloved mountain for most Beskid enthusiasts I know. In this post, I will propose a loop through Romanka and Rysianka from the village of Sopotnia Wielka – in both “basic” and “extended” versions. You are cordially invited!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Sopotnia Wielka – the waterfall
- Kotarnica (1,160 m a.s.l.) from Sopotnia Wielka
- Romanka – the trail from Sopotnia Wielka
- The trail from Romanka to Hala Rysianka
- Hala Rysianka – the mountain hut
- Rysianka – the summit
- The trail from Rysianka to Sopotnia Wielka
- Excursion map – basic version
- Extended variant: return via Hala Miziowa and the Uszczawne ridge
Sopotnia Wielka – the waterfall
It is a beautiful, sunny late morning when Natalia and I arrive at the tourist parking lot in the village of Sopotnia Wielka, located near the Delikatesy Centrum store (49.5843300N, 19.3015942E, approx. 620 m a.s.l.). Our intention today is a running-trekking excursion to Romanka (1,366 m a.s.l.) and Rysianka (1,322 m a.s.l.), which are among my favorite Beskid peaks.
Before we start heading up, however, we want to see one more local curiosity. Sopotnia Wielka is home to the largest waterfall in the Polish part of the Beskids. It consists of several cascades, the highest of which is over 10 meters tall. The waterfall is located right by the asphalt road, quite close to the tourist parking lot. The water falls here over diagonally arranged layers of Magura sandstone, landing with a roar in a 5-meter deep plunge pool. A small viewing point with a bench and an information board has been set up by the waterfall. By the way, judging by the cans scattered on the ground, the place clearly enjoys popularity not only among connoisseurs of Beskid nature :D.
Kotarnica (1,160 m a.s.l.) from Sopotnia Wielka
The waterfall is seen, time to hit the road! We pass a small bridge over the river, and then follow the black signs to the left, through the buildings of Sopotnia Wielka. After about 200 meters, we run above the houses. The trail briefly leads through a grassy clearing before diving into a dense forest. We are now ascending a wide and stony path. Since it is quite steep here, gaining altitude goes fairly smoothly (nearly 300 meters over a distance of one kilometer).
Half an hour after leaving the last buildings of Sopotnia Wielka, at the level of approx. 1,050 m a.s.l., the vegetation thins out, revealing a pleasant panorama towards the east. In the foreground, the forested ridge of Uszczawne is visible, and behind it the majestic Babia Góra, the Polica range, and the extensive Pre-Babia Góra range with Mędralowa. A few minutes later, at an altitude of approx. 1,120 m a.s.l., the panorama expands to include nearby Pilsko. The black trail continues to be very wide and comfortable – at this stage, it is essentially a full-fledged dirt road. In this way, an hour after leaving Sopotnia and covering 3 kilometers of distance, we check in at the non-prominent and forested peak of Kotarnica (1,160 m a.s.l.). Beyond the summit, the black trail ends, and we continue the excursion along the blue trail, running from Sopotnia Mała.
Romanka – the trail from Sopotnia Wielka
From Kotarnica, we descend 60 meters to a shallow pass, only to start the actual ascent to Romanka a moment later. In this way, over the next two kilometers, we gain approx. 250 meters of elevation difference. The trail leads here mainly through the forest – initially mixed, then spruce. For a kilometer and a half, the path is quite steep; it clearly flattens out only after passing Majcherkowa (1,355 m a.s.l.), the north-eastern peak of Romanka. At this point, we enter the area covered by the “Romanka” nature reserve, established in 1963 to preserve a primary fragment of the former Carpathian Forest. As the information board set up here states, for the sake of nature, direct interference in the state of ecosystems, nature components, and the course of natural processes has been abandoned.
Half a kilometer after passing Majcherkowa, we reach the actual summit of Romanka (1,366 m a.s.l.), the sixth highest mountain of the Żywiec Beskids (after Babia Góra, Pilsko, Mała Babia Góra, Mechy, and Polica). Due to being completely forested, the summit lacks viewing values. However, the local mountain forests are truly beautiful, so being in this place seems incredibly pleasant to me. At the summit of Romanka, the blue trail runs down, north, towards the village of Bystra. We continue the excursion along the yellow ridge trail, leading towards Hala Rysianka.
The trail from Romanka to Hala Rysianka
The yellow trail from Romanka to Hala Rysianka is 3 kilometers long and undeniably belongs to my favorite routes in the Żywiec Beskids. For the next kilometer, the trail descends gently, and we run along a forest path, surrounded by beautiful greenery and numerous blueberry fields. It gets steep only at the overgrowing Hala Łyśniowska, which is the northern part of Hala Pawlusia. In this place, we pass the local peak of Martoszka (1,189 m a.s.l.), equipped with a wooden cross set by the trail. In this way, a moment later, we check in at the Pawlusia pass (1,176 m a.s.l.), separating Romanka from Rysianka. The pass is surrounded by a vast clearing, once used for pastoral purposes. At the edge of the clearing, the red trail, a fragment of the Main Beskid Trail, joins the yellow trail. Our route now leads directly through the spacious and beautiful Hala Pawlusia. The view from here extends towards the west: in the foreground, you can see Prusów, the buildings of Żabnica, Abrahamów, Magura, and Skałka; in the second – the main ridge of the Silesian Beskids with, among others, Skrzyczne or Barania Góra. It is beautiful… but the best is yet to come!
Hala Rysianka – the mountain hut
Half a kilometer of easy ascent and from the Pawlusia pass we come out onto Hala Rysianka (1,290 m a.s.l.), one of the most beautiful pastoral clearings in the Żywiec Beskids (and perhaps even in the entire Polish mountains). This extensive, idyllic clearing is an ideal place for a picnic or simply – for a longer break. Personally, I especially love the view here of the Beskid royal couple – in the foreground King Pilsko, in the second – Queen Babia Góra. Slightly to the right, with good air clarity, a perfect panorama of the Tatra Mountains, Orava Magura, Velky Choc, and Mala Fatra opens from Hala Rysianka. As you can easily guess, the name of the clearing (and the mountain rising above it) comes from the lynx (Polish: ryś).
In the upper part of the clearing stands the PTTK mountain hut, beloved by all Beskid enthusiasts I know. Everyone likes to eat blueberry buns here, but not everyone realizes the exceptionally complex history of this place. Suffice it to say that the facility was built in 1937 as… an illegal construction by a German spy, Gustaw Pustelnik. And how did that happen? This Gustaw was previously the tenant of the nearby hut on Hala Lipowska, belonging to the German tourist organization Beskidenverein. In 1936, he apparently dreamed of independence, as he purchased a share in the property including Hala Rysianka. Subsequently, Gustaw divided the plots and obtained permission to build a small cabin. It quickly turned out that the emerging building reached significant proportions and was inevitably built for the purpose of servicing tourist traffic. Since a special permit was required to run a mountain hut, Gustaw received a demolition order. Unexpectedly, however, the authorities of the Tatra Ski Association (TTN) stood up for Pustelnik. The building was thus completed, constituting from then on significant competition for the nearby (approx. 15 minutes walk) hut on Hala Lipowska. Gustaw did not stay here long, however – he fled because the Polish authorities discovered his connections with Nazi intelligence. As it later turned out, the suspicions were correct. Pustelnik returned to managing the hut during the German occupation. During World War II, holiday stays for Nazi soldiers took place here, among others. The hut has been serving its proper purposes again since 1947, when it was reopened by the Żywiec branch of the Polish Tatra Society (later renamed PTTK).
Today, the PTTK hut on Rysianka enjoys great popularity among tourists – it is obviously not on the Tatra scale, but many people come here on sunny weekends. However, this has never bothered me here – I have the impression that the clearing is so large that people disperse on it appropriately. Besides the aforementioned blueberry buns, you can buy a stylish T-shirt with the image of a lynx in the hut. Rysianka is also one of the most important trail hubs in this part of the Beskids. Besides our variant, the following meet here: the green trail from Żabnica-Skałka, the green trail from Milówka through Hala Boracza, the beautiful yellow trail from Rajcza through Hala Redykalna, the blue trail from Sopotnia Wielka (our descent), the blue trail from Złatna, and the shortest variant – the black trail from Złatna Huta. The red-marked Main Beskid Trail leads further towards Hala Miziowa.
Rysianka – the summit
After a well-deserved break, we decide on one more interesting thing, namely reaching the actual summit of Rysianka (1,322 m a.s.l.). For this purpose, we leave the marked trail, taking a dirt road running from the mountain hut. Half a kilometer of gentle, forest ascent (approx. 30 meters of elevation difference) and… we have it. The fact that we are at the actual summit of Rysianka is informed by a makeshift piece of paper in a sleeve and an inscription carved on a stone. In the meantime, we cross the border of another reserve – this time it is the “Lipowska” reserve, established in 2008 to protect, among other things, summit raised bogs. On the western slopes of Rysianka, another clearing stretches – Hala Koziorka with pleasant views of nearby peaks of the Żywiec Beskids and Silesian Beskids.
The trail from Rysianka to Sopotnia Wielka
From Rysianka to Sopotnia Wielka, we descend along the blue trail. The first 750 meters of the trail is a wide dirt road. Then, the signs point sharply to the left – onto a much narrower, but also more beautiful path. We are now running surrounded by lush greenery, being careful of numerous individual boulders and roots sticking out of the ground. Shortly after, we traverse the slope from which the springs of the Sopotnia stream emerge. There are rather few people on the trail – it seems that this variant is chosen by tourists less often than not. Although the narrow path requires maximum concentration, in my assessment, running down here is truly great. Natalia shares my opinion, and describes the forest section of the blue trail as “so nice, adventurous”.
We emerge from behind the trees after covering a bit over three kilometers, at an altitude of approx. 850 m a.s.l. (with the steepest sections of the descent occurring at its beginning and end). We cover the last five kilometers along the asphalt road, separating us from the parking lot at Delikatesy Centrum. We are now moving through the buildings of Sopotnia Wielka, in the vicinity of the roaring Sopotnia stream. We check in at the car around 3:00 PM, which means the entire expedition takes us just over 4 hours. And the impressions? Positive! I fell in love with Rysianka at first sight, and every subsequent return to this peak seems like a large and important event to me. The clearing is wonderful, the hut incredibly atmospheric, and the surrounding forests amazingly majestic. I will be back… and certainly more than once or twice!
Date of the trip: August 4, 2024
Trip statistics: 18 km; 930 meters of elevation difference
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Excursion map – basic version
Extended variant: return via Hala Miziowa and the Uszczawne ridge
Trekking through Palenica and Munczolik
For those interested in extending the loop I described, I recommend taking the red trail from Hala Rysianka. This route was designated as early as the 1890s by activists of the German tourist organization Beskidenverein. In 1926, this section was included by Władysław Midowicz in the emerging Main Beskid Trail. By choosing this variant, we pass through the entire length of Hala Rysianka, and then, at an altitude of approx. 1,150 m a.s.l., we dive into the forest. For about a kilometer, the trail runs along the southern border of the “Pod Rysianką” nature reserve, established in 1970 to protect valuable fragments of the former Carpathian forest. As befits the GSB, the path is very wide and properly marked all the way to Hala Miziowa.
A little over two kilometers after leaving the mountain hut, we reach the summit of Trzy Kopce (1,216 m a.s.l.), which is a junction of two ridges: the Lipowski Wierch ridge and the border ridge. Further on, the trail runs along the Polish-Slovak border, leading the tourist through a young spruce forest most of the time. At times it is quite laborious, so it is well suited for running training. Less than two kilometers from Trzy Kopce is another non-prominent summit – Palenica (1,343 m a.s.l.). On the eastern and north-eastern slopes of this peak stretches the picturesque Hala Cudzichowa, offering a pleasant view of nearby Pilsko.
The red trail runs along the edge of the extensive clearing for half a kilometer, leading tourists to the shallow Cudzichowa pass (1,255 m a.s.l.). There, a temporary divergence of the Polish and Slovak border trails begins. The Slovak trail, marked in blue, continues along the ridge, directly through the summit of Munczolik (1,356 m a.s.l.). The Polish trail turns left at the pass, gently traversing the summit from the western side. The divergence between the border trails lasts about 700 meters and ends with their convergence again shortly beyond the non-prominent dome of Munczolik.
Descent through the Uszczawne massif
After the Polish and Slovak border trails meet again, we follow a dense forest for another kilometer. We emerge from the trees at the charming Hala Cebulowa, offering a pleasant panorama of the Kotarnica and Romanka ridge. Further on is Hala Miziowa (approx. 1,270 m a.s.l.) with a large PTTK mountain hut. Since this is an important place in the Żywiec Beskids, I will devote more words to it in a dedicated post. For now, I will only say that from this point it is very close to Pilsko, and reaching Rysianka and Pilsko in one day guarantees, in my feeling, 100% Beskid satisfaction.
From Hala Miziowa, we take the green trail, following it towards the north. Walking through a beautiful forest, we pass the Skałka culmination (1,235 m a.s.l.) and the charming Hala Jodłowcowa. After two kilometers of marching, the green trail turns left, leading the tourist directly to one of the tourist parking lots in Sopotnia Wielka over four kilometers. The route leads directly through a dense forest and is characterized by a large number of various forest paths. Walk carefully here, as it is relatively easy to stray from the correct trail.
To close the loop started at the parking lot near Delikatesy Centrum, go straight after Hala Jodłowcowa along the black trail. The route leads here along the forested Uszczawne ridge, gently descending towards the north. The most beautiful element of this part of the excursion is undeniably the Malarka clearing (approx. 1,050 m a.s.l.). You should descend from the ridge at the Piekło clearing (approx. 850 m a.s.l.), located five kilometers from Hala Miziowa. So, turn left – onto the yellow trail. At this point, another kilometer and a half of gentle, forest descent awaits us, after which we check in at the starting parking lot.
Variant statistics: 22 km; 1,160 meters of elevation difference
Statistics for the variant with Pilsko: 25 km; 1,415 meters of elevation difference
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Map of the extended variant
Map of the extended variant with Pilsko
Bibliography
- Figiel S., Franczak P., Janicka-Krzywda U., Krzywda P., Beskid Żywiecki. Przewodnik, 4th edition, Rewasz Publishing, Pruszków 2023.
