Today, I’m taking you on a somewhat challenging but fun hike in the Polish Tatra Mountains: to the peak of Kozi Wierch, at 2291 metres above sea level. We enjoyed incredible views of Dolina Pieciu Stawow (the Valley of Five Lakes), saw a lot of native wildlife, and had a well-earned meal at the tourist hostel. What a day! Last year, I spent nearly two weeks in Zakopane, Poland, at the foot of Tatra Mountains. This year, at the start of June, I had a chance to go back, for a few days. The weather, like last year, wasn’t too generous, but we managed to use the good moments to the maximum.
Where are Tatra Mountains
But first, let me tell you a few words about Tatra Mountains – my favourite place in the world. Located on the border between Poland and Slovakia, Tatra Mountains are the highest stretch of the Carpathians. They offer a lot of picturesque walking trails on both sides of the border, but as a Polish person, I particularly love those on the Polish side.
Other walking routes in Polish Tatra mountains
On this blog, I previously wrote about some other hikes I completed in Tatra Mountains:
Kozi Wierch Hike – getting to the start of the trail
If you have a car, you can drive to Palenica Bialczanska. There is a large car park there, just make sure to book a spot online in advance. They sell out quickly! Alternatively – and that’s the option we chose – you can take a bus from Zakopane to Palenica Bialczanska, which will take you right to the start of the trail. There isn’t an official timetable, as those minivan-style buses are typically operated by small, private companies, but you can generally go to one of the major bus stops in Zakopane ( e.g. next to the train station) and a bus will eventually turn up – look out for buses for Morskie Oko.
From Palenica Bialczanska to Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza
It was time to start our adventure. We bought entrance tickets to the National Park and began the hike. Its first part wasn’t too exciting – we followed an asphalt road for about 30 minutes. It’s an uphill walk, and if you followed that road till the end, you’d reach Morskie Oko – the most famous lake in the Polish mountains.
However, Morskie Oko wasn’t on our agenda that day.
Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza to Dolina Pieciu Stawow
Once we reached Wodegremoty Mickiewicza – a set of small but powerful waterfalls – the trail split. We said goodbye to the asphalt road and turned to the trail for Dolina Pieciu Stawow. It was a steep climb through the forest from the get go. We still had a lot of elevation to gain.
The path runs through the forest and along a stream, going up and down (but mainly up). After about an hour, we reached a crossroads – there are two paths leading to Dolina Pieciu Stawow. One of them goes past Wielka Siklawa, the tallest waterfall in Poland – we chose that trail last year, on our way to Zawrat. This time, we decided to check out the alternative route.
The path was steep, but because we were above the tree line at that point, we were able to enjoy the views. We could also see the tourist shelter, our first destination, on top of the mountain. We eventually reached it, about 2 hours after leaving the car park – some 40 minutes faster than the official signs suggested!
Visitor centre in Dolina Pieciu Stawow – The Valley of Five Lakes
Let me quickly say a few words about the mountain shelters in Poland. ‘Shelter’ is the direct translation of the Polish word ‘schronisko’, but it’s not perfect. The mountain shelters are a cross between a hostel and a visitor centre. They offer accommodation, which usually requires booking months – if not years – in advance. Traditionally, if all rooms are taken, a shelter should allow hikers to sleep on the floor indoors if they wish. Apart from accommodation, there’s typically a restaurant, a shop selling snacks and small souvenirs, and – invaluable during a long hike – toilets.
We reached the shelter in Dolina Pieciu Stawow around 10 am and only popped to the toilets before continuing our hike.
We walked along the lake and after just a couple of minutes, we enjoyed the first of many wildlife encounters that day. A beautiful deer was having breakfast by the lake. There was about a dozen of people taking photos, but he didn’t care at all! We admired him for a few minutes, then continued our hike.
Dolina Pieciu Stawow to Kozi Wierch ascent
Whilst following the trail along the lake, we saw another deer – probably a lady this time? We walked past a crossroads where the trail forked towards Krzyzne (a difficult route requiring specialised gear and experience). Then, we reached the sign for Kozi Wierch, and followed that route.
Initially, it was an easy, perfectly safe hike. It was steep and physically demanding, but free of technical difficulties. We essentially walked up a never-ending store staircase. After just under an hour, we reached the first place with a bit of exposure, where we needed to use our hands. The basic bouldering experience I got a couple of years ago was coming in handy! Remembering to keep three points of contact, I got through the short scramble.
There were a few more places where using all of your limbs (as well as knees and elbows) is necessary, but only two of them felt a little scary. Both were super small sections, luckily. We got through them without major issues, but we did see a few people decide to call it there and turn back.
The climb to Kozi Wierch was tiring (it was an additional 600m elevation gain from the shelter), but the views were absolutely stunning. We could see the lakes of Dolina Pieciu Stawow and the shelter get smaller and smaller.
Beside the amazing landscape views, we also got to see some marmots. Those small mammals are some of the most elusive inhabitants of Tatra Mountains. I only saw them in the wild for the very first time last year, during my hike to Zawrat, not far from Kozi Wierch. During the ascent to Kozi Wierch we saw not one, but 7 or 8 of those cute animals. Jackpot!
Kozi Wierch summit – 2291 m
The views from Kozi Wierch were probably my favourite I’ve ever seen in Tatra Mountains, and I’ve climbed a fair few mountains there! You can see both of the famous lake valleys – Dolina Pieciu Stawow that we came from, and Hala Gasienicowa on the other side of the mountain. Additionally, Kozi Wierch is in the middle of the most challenging trails in all of Polish Mountains – Orla Perc. You can see the brave climbers on their way from Zawrat to Kozi Wierch, and you can hear the clinging of the metal chains on that trail echoing between the tall mountains.
We spent some time on top of Kozi Wierch, simply enjoying the incredible views. It was also a perfect place for a meal!
Descent to Dolina Pieciu Stawow
Eventually, it was time to go back to Dolina Pieciu Stawow, following the same path as when we were going up. The challenging places that had us crawling on our knees on the way up were now tackled by sliding down on our bums. The trail is steep, and whilst it was demanding on the way up as a cardio exercise, it hit me a lot harder on the way down. Steep descents put a lot of impact on the knees, and I think it’s time I get some poles!
Lunch at Dolina Pieciu Stawow
It took us about 1 hour 45 minutes to get back to Dolina Pieciu Stawow, and we saw another deer near the lakes. The shelter is always crowded during the day, but since it was still off-season, it wasn’t too bad. After a short while in the queue, we ordered fried breaded cheese, and it definitely hit the spot. Fuelled with the meal, we were ready to start the descent.
Back to the asphalt trail
Once again, we followed the same trail as on the way up. We got to enjoy the wonderful views for a while before the path reached the tree line and the trail went into the woods. Soon, we were near Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza and the asphalt trail to Morskie Oko. However, it wasn’t the end of our hike!
Roztoka Shelter
From Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza, we decided to turn into a less popular trail to Roztoka Valley, where you can find an old shelter. Despite the crowds walking to Morskie Oko, Roztoka remains a tranquil place. It was only a 15 minute walk away from the asphalt road – I’d say it was worth it! We enjoyed a quick drink and used the clean toilets there, then headed back to the main trail.
Back to the car park
Finally, we followed the asphalt road for the last 30 minutes of the hike and got back to the car park in Palenica Bialczanska. We got quite lucky – there was a mini bus there, almost ready to leave! We got on the bus and got back to Zakopane.
Summary of the hike
The whole hike was 23km long, with 1450m elevation gain. Including all breaks, it took us just over 10 hours 30 minutes. It was definitely a challenging route, but the views were 100% worth it. It was one of my favourite hikes in Tatra Mountains to date!
Also see:
Alphe's Corner 