Skąd nazwa “Pieniny”?

Okazuje się, że obecna nazwa tego pasma górskiego pochodzi od dawnej nazwy “Pioniny” ze względu na pionowe ściany tamtejszych gór.

Czy wejście do Parku jest bezpłatne?

Tak, PPN można zwiedzać bezpłatne, natomiast pewne opłaty, np. Zwiedzania ruin Zamku Czorsztyńskiego czy wejście na szczyt Sokolicy i Trzech Koron jest płatne w okresie od 20.04 do 15.11.

Najbardziej rozpoznawalna atrakcja Parku to…

Jest to z pewnością spływ przełomem Dunajca (oczywiście płatny!), podczas którego można podziwiać piękno Pienin. Sezon flisacki trwa od 1 kwietnia do 31 października.

Gdzie można zatrzymać się chcąc zwiedzić Park?

Możemy wykupić nocleg w Krościenku nad Dunajcem lub Szczawnicy. Stamtąd będzie nam najłatwiej dojść do Parku żółtymi szlakami.

Czym jest Droga Pienińska?

Droga Pienińska to szlak turystyczny o długości 10 km wiodący ze Szczawnicy do Czerwonego Klasztoru. Można pokonać ją pieszo lub rowerem - nieważne, jaki sposób się wybierze, towarzyszyć będzie nam piękno Przełomu Dunajca. Trasa bowiem znajduje się bardzo blisko rzeki.

Pieniny National Park, the Pieniny Mountains proper. — photos, info, weather

Explore Place

Pieniny National Park is the oldest national park in Poland and covers the most valuable areas of the Pieniny Mountains. It captivates visitors with the diversity of attractions and opportunities it offers: guided tours of the castles in Niedzica and Czorsztyn, rafting on the Dunajec River, and – perhaps most importantly – 35 kilometers of hiking trails. Furthermore, within its boundaries are well-known peaks such as Sokolica with its famous pine tree, and Trzy Korony (Three Crowns) with five (not three!) towers, all waiting for tourists eager to enjoy the beautiful views.

Also on the Slovakian side
In 1932, the Czechoslovak Pieniny National Park was also established, which is the smallest of today’s Slovakian national parks.
The Pieniny ravines
The numerous ravines are also a popular attraction in the Pieniny National Park. It is worth mentioning not only the most popular one – Homole – but also the Sobczański and Między Skały ravines.
Trails
A total of 35 km of trails are available for tourists, allowing them to travel between the various attractions.
Fauna and flora
The Park is home to over 7,000 animal species and over 3,000 plant species.
heavy tourist traffic
when calculated per hectare, this is the most crowded national park in Poland!

Frequently Asked Questions

Skąd nazwa “Pieniny”?
Ruch turystyczny
1
Okazuje się, że obecna nazwa tego pasma górskiego pochodzi od dawnej nazwy “Pioniny” ze względu na p...
Czy wejście do Parku jest bezpłatne?
Ceny
2
Tak, PPN można zwiedzać bezpłatne, natomiast pewne opłaty, np. Zwiedzania ruin Zamku Czorsztyńskiego...
Najbardziej rozpoznawalna atrakcja Parku to…
Ruch turystyczny
3
Jest to z pewnością spływ przełomem Dunajca (oczywiście płatny!), podczas którego można podziwiać pi...
Gdzie można zatrzymać się chcąc zwiedzić Park?
Dojazd
4
Możemy wykupić nocleg w Krościenku nad Dunajcem lub Szczawnicy. Stamtąd będzie nam najłatwiej dojść ...
Czym jest Droga Pienińska?
Dojazd
5
Droga Pienińska to szlak turystyczny o długości 10 km wiodący ze Szczawnicy do Czerwonego Klasztoru....

Story

Starting point in Czorsztyn

Western edge of the Park

Ruins of a 14th-century castle
We begin our adventure through the most important places in the Pieniny National Park with the charming ruins of Czorsztyn Castle. The building itself, most likely built in the 14th century on the orders of St. Kinga, is open to visitors. The preserved and partially restored ruins of the middle and upper castle, the Renaissance Baranowski Tower, and Zieleniec are available for exploration. From the terraces of the upper castle, there is an interesting panorama of the Czorsztyn Reservoir, the Pieniny Mountains of Spiš, and the Tatra Mountains. From the windows of the Baranowski Tower, you can admire the panorama of Podhale, the Gorce Mountains, and a section of the Pieniny Mountains of Czorsztyn.
Czorsztyn Lake
Another attraction that cannot be missed is a boat trip on the completed reservoir, Czorsztyn Lake, which was finished in
Blue trail

Hike through mountain passes

Osice Pass
We start in Czorsztyn and follow the blue trail towards Szczawnica. After about half an hour, we reach Osice Pass. It is located on the edge of the forest and at the intersection of roads leading from Krośnica to Niedzica and Hałuszowa. The southern and western slopes of the pass, as well as the ridge on the southeastern side, are forested. Here, you will also find the entrance to the National Park.
Trzy Kopce Pass
We continue our journey and after another 45 minutes, we reach our next stop – Trzy Kopce Pass. Contrary to appearances, the name does not come from the three mounds located there, but from the meeting point of the borders of three villages: Hałuszowa, Sromowce Niżne, and Tylka. Along the way, there will be plenty to see – on our right, we will be able to admire peaks such as Palenica and Flaki.
The journey continues

Getting closer to the highest peaks

The first fork in the road
At the Trzy Kopce Pass, the red trail begins, which leads down to Sromowce Wyżne. The hike should take about an hour, so if we’re tired from the previous hike, we can end our journey on this trail. But the most interesting part is yet to come!
Thank God!
The most persistent hikers can certainly utter these words. We are now just a short distance from Trzy Korony. The Szopka Pass is often also called “Thank God!”, and it is said that this is because of the shouts made by people during the climb, who find a place to rest here. However, let’s remember that it can be crowded during the tourist season. According to the information board, there are still 45 minutes to go to Trzy Korony. Let’s go!
Three Crowns

Beautiful views

The Highest Peak in the Pieniny Mountains
The trail from Szopka Pass is not one of the easiest. You can expect many steep ascents and stone steps, which are often damp, requiring hikers to exercise caution. However, it is worth the effort, because, despite the fact that access to the observation deck located on the highest of the five towers is subject to a fee, the views are breathtaking. The 500-meter drop and the landscape of the Pieniny Mountains, the Tatra Mountains, and the Dunajec Gorge are worth the effort and the climb to the very top.
Pieniny Castle
Not far from Three Crowns are the ruins of Pieniny Castle, which are also worth visiting. Currently, you can explore almost 90 meters of defensive walls and an old rock cistern carved into the rock outside the walls. On the east side, behind the cistern, square foundations have survived, which once probably formed a protective tower. The castle ruins are particularly popular with tourists in the fall – then the surrounding atmosphere allows for taking beautiful photos and admiring the colorful Pieniny forests.
Sokola Perć

Time to return!

Bajków Groń
From Przełęcz Szopka, it takes 15 minutes to reach Bajków Groń. It is 721 meters above sea level, and its name comes from two small hills located nearby: Bajków and Groń. The hiking trail called Sokola Perć starts here. It leads all the way to Szczawnica – the destination of our hike!
Sokolica
The name itself – Sokola Perć – should already give us a clue about what we might encounter along the way. After just over an hour of hiking, we will reach Sokolica, perhaps the most famous peak in the Pieniny Mountains, where a famous pine tree is located. The views from here include, among other things, the Dunajec Gorge, and on a clear day, even the Tatra Mountains. However, we continue on, and after 40 minutes, we find ourselves in Szczawnica – here, the charming Dunajec River awaits us!