What should you see in Pieniny
The Pieniny mountains are the second most popular mountain place after the Tatra Mountains. They are one of the most attractive tourist regions in Poland – especially the center part. Here are a few places that you cannot miss while going on a trip to Pieniny:
Trzy Korony
Trzy Korony (Three Crowns) is the highest peak of Central Pieniny. In 1834, this peak was called Kronenberg (which translates to „Crown” in English). The current name was first mentioned in documents in 1860.
Tourists have been visiting Trzy Korony for a very long time. Around the year 1880, approximately 200-300 tourists were climbing Trzy Korony annually, and in 2005, there were more than 60.000 tourists. Trzy Korony is one of the most attractive places in Pieniny in terms of tourism.
Visitors can admire picturesque landscapes from the observation tower at Okraglica.
The „Wawoz Homole” nature reserve
The „Wawoz Homole” nature reserve was established in 1963 and occupies the surface of 58.64 hectares. It is located in the village of Jaworki, not far from the town of Szczawnica.
The Homole Ravine is approximately 800 meters long and has very steep walls. The beginning of the ravine, surrounded by picturesque rocks, is located at the entrance to Jaworki.
Before the creation of the nature reserve, its area was grazed and completely deforested.
In the „Wawoz Homole” nature reserve there are 9 species of protected plants, including common ivy, yew, goldenhead lily and others.
Lake Czorsztyn
Lake Czorsztyn is a water resrvoir at the Dunajec river, located between Pieniny and Gorce.
It is 9 klometers long and approximately 1.3 kilometers wide. The most imortant purpose of
Lake Czorsztyn is to protect the valley of the Dunajec river. It is also a popular tourist destination.
Among the numerous tourist attractions at Lake Czorsztyn, the most important are the nature of the Pieniny National Park, the ruins of the castle in Czorsztyn, the castle in Niedzica and Mount Wdzar with a ski resort and a summertime trolley slide.
The castle in Czorsztyn
The castle in Czorsztyn is the ruins of a gothic castle from the 14th century, located within the borders of the Pieniny National Park.
According to the tradition passed on by Jan Dlugosz, in 1246 the castle in Czorsztyn was owned by Piotr Wydzga from the Janina family. However, the story passed on by Dlugosz was not confirmed by modern Historians, and neither was the story of Boleslaw Wstydliwy hiding in the castle during the Tatar invasion in 1241.
The major expansion of the castle took place during the reign of Kazimierz the Great, who enalrged the castle in surrounded it with defensive walls.
The Zaskalnik waterfall
This waterfall is approximately 5 meters high and floats in a slow, peacedul rhythm. The picturesque Zaskalnik waterfall lies on a height of 550 meters above the sea level. There are 3 tourist trails leading to this place – the horse trail, the black bicycle trail and the blue walking trail, leading from Szczawnica to Przehyba. You can get from Szczawnica to the waterfall by a chaise or a stylized mini-train.
Gorge of the Dunajec river
Considered one of the most beautiful places, not just in Poland, this is a nature monument of global significance. Dunajec flow in a deep, self-grooved rocky ravine. It takes 7 rapid turns on the length of 9 kilometers.
St. Marcin’s church in Grywald.
A wooden, gothic parish church under calling of St. Marcin, built in the second half of the 15th century, in the place of an earlier temple. According to legend, that even earlier, there was a pagan shingle right in this place.
Sokolica
Arguably the most beautiful mountain peak in Pieniny. It is 747 meters high and built from hard limestones. The upright walls of Sokolica of the height of 307 meters fall steeply to the valley of Dunajec. This is a wonderful viewing point of Dunajec, the Small Pieniny and the Tatra Mountains.
Zamkowa Mountain
The Zamkowa Mountain is located in the main massif of Trzy Korony, in the north-eastern direction from the main mountain peak. At the top you can see the ruins of the Pieniny Castle, which is one of the highest-located Castles in Poland. It was built between 1257 and 1287 as a guard castle in the Nowy Sącz region.
The Pieniny Trail
This trail leads through the Pieniny ravine from Szczawnica by the right riverside. Its first fragment was built between 1870 and 1875 by Jozef Szalay. After his death, the creation of the trail was continued by the Skill Academy in Krakow. In some places, Dunajec creates such a tight gorge, that in order to create a narrow road, that would be contiguous to the rocks, it was necessary to cut the rocks and build high rock-concrete embankments directly above the river current.