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Best Hiking in Poland

The best hiking in Poland is concentrated in the Tatra mountains around Zakopane. The walk to Morskie Oko is the country's most popular trail, ending at a glacial lake below the peaks, while Dolina Koscieliska is the gentlest of the great valleys, threading meadows, caves and limestone walls. For a summit day, Kasprowy Wierch and the iron-crossed Giewont test stronger legs. Far to the northeast, Bialowieza National Park offers flat trails through a fragment of ancient lowland forest.

Best Hiking in Poland

  1. Morskie Oko

    Zakopane

    Morskie Oko

    The largest lake in the Tatras, a glacial pool ringed by high peaks and the most popular mountain destination in Poland.
  2. Dolina Koscieliska

    Zakopane

    Dolina Koscieliska

    A broad, gentle valley of meadows, caves and limestone walls, the easiest of the great Tatra walks.
  3. Kasprowy Wierch

    Zakopane

    Kasprowy Wierch

    A 1,987 m summit on the Slovak border, reached by the cable car from Kuznice for a ridge-top panorama.
  4. Giewont

    Zakopane

    Giewont

    The iconic 1,894 metre mountain overlooking Zakopane, crowned by a 15 metre iron cross erected in 1901. Its silhouette is said to resemble a sleeping knight and is the symbol of the town.
  5. Tatra National Park

    Zakopane

    Tatra National Park

    Poland's highest mountains, protected as a national park, with alpine peaks, glacial lakes and the country's most demanding trails.
  6. Bialowieza National Park

    Białowieża

    Bialowieza National Park

    A fragment of primeval lowland forest, never logged in its core, protecting Europe's largest wild population of bison.

The best hiking in Poland is in the Tatra Mountains around Zakopane, with gentle valley walks, a glacial lake and high ridges for stronger walkers, plus the flat trails of Europe's last primeval lowland forest in the east. We chose routes across the range of effort, so there is something whether you want a stroll or a summit.

Routes by effort

For an easy day, walk the broad Koscieliska Valley or the paved path to the glacial lake Morskie Oko. For height without a scramble, ride the cable car to Kasprowy Wierch and walk the ridge. The climb up Giewont is a long, exposed day for fit walkers. In the east, the Bialowieza Forest offers flat trails among old-growth trees and wild bison.

Safety and season

The main Tatra season is late spring to early autumn; higher routes hold snow and ice outside it and need proper gear. Check the weather, start early, and keep to marked trails. See nature in Poland and Zakopane for bases and more walks.

Frequently asked questions

The trail to Morskie Oko in Tatra National Park is the busiest, following a paved road about 9 kilometres from the Palenica Bialczanska car park to the lake, roughly two hours each way. It is family-friendly and can be shortened with a horse-drawn cart for part of the route.
Dolina Koscieliska is the easiest of the major valleys, a broad and mostly flat walk past meadows and limestone cliffs with optional cave detours. It suits families and anyone wanting Tatra scenery without a hard climb.
No permit is needed, but you pay a small entry fee to Tatra National Park and must stay on marked trails. Exposed summit routes like Giewont involve chains and should only be attempted in good weather, since afternoon storms are common in summer.

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