Hiking At Równica, Ustroń, Wisła, Poland

One of my favourite things to do when I go back to Poland is hiking. If the weather allows, I always try to dedicate one Saturday to a trip to the mountains which are about one hour’s drive away from my hometown. I’ve done numerous hiking trips there with my family when I was a child, and it’s always great to have a chance to go back and relive the memories. Last time I visited my family in Poland, we managed to go on a hike to Równica Mountain.

Ustroń to Orłowa

We parked our car at Ustroń Polana and took the green trail to Orłowa Mountain. We walked uphill through the forest for a while and then reached more of an open space with a wonderful view. After around 1 hour 20 minutes, we reached the top of Orłowa – quite an overgrown one, actually! There were trees all over the peak and we didn’t get to enjoy much of a view from there. Never mind, though – the main viewpoint of the trip was still to come.

A long path through green fields leading into a forest - part of a hike to Orlowa and Równica Mountains. — Równica Hike – Ustroń, Wisła, Poland

A signpost at Orlowa with directions and walking times to the nearby peaks. — Równica Hike – Ustroń, Wisła, Poland

Orłowa to Równica

From Orłowa, we took the blue trail to Równica. It was an easy walk, mainly leading through a forest without much of a descent or ascent. It took us about 1h 15m to get to the top of Równica Mountain.

An unidentified beetle with a black, brown and beige pattern on its back. Seen on Mount Równica, Poland. — Równica Hike – Ustroń, Wisła, Poland

Meal time!

When we reached the top of Równica, it was time for lunch. There are three restaurants in the area – from an affordable, old-style diner located in the former tourist shelter, to a modern restaurant with the best views in town. We opted to eat in Zbójnicka Chata, a smaller restaurant hidden at the back of the busy area. The restaurant serves an array of traditional Polish dishes, and they all look delicious. However, what makes this place special is that you can buy a sausage and roast it yourself over a fireplace. And trust me – nothing tastes as good as a slightly charred sausage that you roasted yourself after a long hike. This option isn’t particularly popular amongst the visitors, but to me – as a person who’s always lived in apartments and never had a garden to make a BBQ in – being able to roast my own lunch over real fire is as much fun as it gets. Even now, writing this, I can almost smell that fireplace. The meal was 11/10!

Three sausages being roasted over a fireplace. — Równica Hike – Ustroń, Wisła, Poland

Traditional interior design of a restaurant on Mount Równica. The walls are covered with wooden panels and there are sheepskins on the seats. — Równica Hike – Ustroń, Wisła, Poland

The view from Zbójecka Chata - a restaurant on Mount Równica in Poland. — Równica Hike – Ustroń, Wisła, Poland

The view from the top of Mount Równica in Silesian Beskids Mountains, Poland. You can see a panorama of other nearby mountains. — Równica Hike – Ustroń, Wisła, Poland

Way down to Wisła

After soaking up the view from the top of Równica, we took the red trail down to the city. This time, we walked along a road, which wouldn’t normally be my ideal hiking route. However, it was the most convenient way to get back to our car, and there wasn’t much traffic on the way. There are car parks on Równica and a lot of the restaurants’ guests get there by car. I tend to avoid such mountains when I choose my hiking routes and opt for quieter trails, but Równica is a classic and it’s fun to go there occasionally.

It took us around 1.5 hours to get from Równica back to the starting point. The overall hike wasn’t too demanding, but it was great fun – as always!

An empty tarmac road running downhill with a forest on both sides. — Równica Hike – Ustroń, Wisła, Poland

Dessert!

What’s the best way to finish a day with a hike? Dessert, of course! We drove to the nearby town, Wisła, to have coffee and ice cream at my favourite cafe – Cukiernia u Janeczki. It’s a family-run business with a long tradition, and a must-visit place for us every time we’re in Wisła. Their ice cream desserts with assorted toppings are out of this world!

They also had a small exhibition of chocolate sculptures at the cafe. My favourite was that of Freddie Mercury, but they also had others.

Three large servings of ice cream with whipped cream and other toppings on a table, next to three cups of coffee. — Równica Hike – Dessert at Cukiernia u Janeczki Cafe, Wisła, Poland

A sculpture made of coloured chocolate depicting Freddie Mercury wearing a yellow jacket. — Równica Hike – Chocolate Sculpture in Cukiernia u Janeczki Cafe, Wisła, Poland

After the dessert, we quickly popped to a park in the centre of Wisła, which is home to the cutest stone sculptures – a bear balancing on top of a ball, with two cubs playing with another ball on the side. It’s a symbol of Wisła, and one of my favourite places in the world. It brings back so many memories from all the hikes and ice cream desserts near Wisła!

Iconic stone bear sculptures in the centre of Wisla, Poland. One bear is standing on top of a ball, and two smaller bear cubs are playing with a second ball. There are also stone letters spelling Wisla. — Równica Hike – Bear Statues in Wisła, Poland

Finally, we waved goodbye to the bears and headed back home. It truly was a perfect Saturday for me! A hike with wonderful views in good weather, filling lunch that I roasted myself, a sumptuous dessert and a visit to my favourite bear. I can’t wait to go back to Wisła!

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