Bieszczady Mountains

The Wildest Corner Of Poland, A Quiet Range Of Open Grassy Ridges (Poloniny) With A National Park (1973), Bison, Wolves And Lynx, And Almost No Big Towns. Reached On The Wetlina And Ustrzyki Gorne Roads. Prized By Hikers For Solitude, Not Height · Ustrzyki Gorne, Podkarpackie

The Bieszczady are the quiet far south-east corner of Poland, on the Slovak and Ukrainian borders, and the wildest part of the country. They are not high; the top summit, Tarnica, is only 1,346 m. What sets them apart are the polonini, open grassy ridges above the tree line, which give long walks with wide views and few people. The national park, set up in 1973, shelters bears, wolves, lynx and European bison, though you will rarely see them. The district was emptied of its villages after the Second World War, so there are no big towns, only scattered hamlets such as Wetlina and Cisna, old orchards and ruined churches. Solina, the biggest artificial lake in Poland, is the main swimming and boating spot, and a narrow-gauge forest railway runs through the foothills. Public transport is thin, mountain huts are few and need booking, and the weather changes fast. Expect mud after rain, long drives between trailheads and very few services after dark.

Wetlina, Ustrzyki Gorne and the Polonina Carynska grasslands, in the far south-east corner of Poland near Slovakia and Ukraine, Ustrzyki Gorne, Podkarpackie, Poland

The trails and ridges are open at all hours, but you should be off the high ground before dark; the park asks walkers to stay on marked paths, and some are closed in winter or during nesting and animal activity. Entry to the national park needs a ticket, bought at the gate, an office or online, and it is valid for the day. The park visitor offices close on some weekdays and shorten hours in winter. Huts and hostels keep a fixed season, mostly May to October, with limited winter opening. The narrow-gauge railway runs mainly in summer, often on weekends and holidays, and on a fixed timetable; confirm before travel. The road over the ridge is open all year, but can be hard in snow. Free: the roads, the lake shore and the views. Closed: some trails in bad snow, and huts off season.

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