Szczawnica – Hiking Trails, Spa Parks and Palenica

Szczawnica offers a range of reasons to stay in the Polish mountains: marked hiking trails lead from the town centre to PTTK mountain huts, there is a ski area at Palenica, and two spa parks give different parts of the town their character. Mineral water, historic buildings and a rafting trip on the Dunajec are also among the options you can consider when planning your visit.

Hikes with different route details

A blue-marked hiking trail leads from the centre via Czeremcha (1146 m) to the PTTK mountain hut on Prehyba (1138 m). The stated walking time is 3 hours and 30 minutes. Another hike also starts in the centre: initially marked yellow and then blue, it goes via Palenica (722 m) and Szafranówka (742 m) to the PTTK Orlica mountain hut (520 m). The stated time for this route is 1 hour and 40 minutes. The different elevations, trail markings and walking times give you specific information to consider when adding a hike to your travel plans.

Another option is a short hiking trail, about 2 kilometres long, from Szczawnica to Sokolica; be prepared for steep climbs. For trips towards Slovakia, the red-marked Droga Pienińska is an option: it starts at the landing stage in Szczawnica and runs via Červený Klastor to Veľký Lipnik. The route from the PPN pavilion via the border crossing and the Leśnicki stream to Červený Klastor is listed as 10.5 km.

Palenica: Lift and winter sports

The detachable four-seat Palenica chairlift is in the centre of Szczawnica, near the bus station. The ride to the summit of Palenica takes about 3 minutes. The ski area has beginner zones on the slopes of Szafranówka, with three drag lifts, a snowboard run and a halfpipe. There is also the challenging Palenica I descent and the floodlit Palenica II family run. Snowboard competitions are regularly held on the halfpipe. All slopes are artificially snowed and groomed by machine.

Palenica is also a useful reference point for activities outside winter: the promenade along the Grajcarek starts at the lift’s lower station. It is about 1,800 m long and leads to a connection with the pedestrian and cycle path along the Dunajec towards Slovakia. If you are planning to walk or cycle during your stay, this gives you a specific route with a named starting point and connection.

Spa parks and mineral water

Górny Park is Szczawnica’s oldest spa park and lies in the central spa district. Its development was initiated by Jan Kutscher in the first half of the 19th century. The park is situated around a small bottling plant for medicinal water; later landowners expanded it. Józef Szalay added various plant species and paths for walking and relaxation. Its history and landscaped paths make the park a destination in its own right for visitors who want to learn about the town’s spa history as well as go hiking.

Dolny Park is in the centre, at the foot of Bryjarka. It was created between 1861 and 1868 in connection with the opening of the spa house at Miedziusiu. Its features include well-maintained paths, lush vegetation, a music pavilion, a pond and a botanical garden. Visitors can taste water from the Wanda spring in the park. The two parks thus differ both in their history and in the features described for each.

Buildings and the Dunajec

The old Dom nad Zdrojami, dating from 1863, stands on Plac Dietla and houses a drinking hall and the Stefan and Józefina mineral water springs. Also on Plac Dietla, at number 7, is the historic Willa Pałac. Both buildings complement the spa parks as points of interest for anyone interested in Szczawnica’s historic architecture.

Szczawnica is listed as a stop on a Dunajec rafting trip. The route is about 18 km long and the journey takes around 2 hours and 15 minutes. Alongside hiking trails, winter sports and spa history, you can therefore consider a river trip as a reason to visit in its own right.

More places to discover: Czarna Woda, Falsztyn, Czarny Dunajec, Piekielnik, Mizerna, Grywałd, Zaskale and Tylmanowa.

For the broader travel overview: Nowotarski.