Babia Góra National Park

The Babia Góra National Park is located in Beskid Żywiecki, about 90 kilometres to the south-west of Cracow. Babia Góra National Park is a mountain park with the highest summit being Babia Góra (1725 meters above sea level).

One of the reasons of creation of the National Park in 1954 was a model layout of plant layers. In this respect, Babia Góra is a model mountain, perfect for mountain studies. When climbing to the top of Babia Góra, in short time we can see all plant layers well-known from geography classes: from arable land, through beech forests, beech and spruce forests, and with increased height only spruce forest, which is later replaced by dwarf mountain pine. The top belt is the alpine layer with scree formations, slightly decorated with grasslands and lichen. The landscape is great especially in the transitional zone between the forest and dwarf mountain pine. In winter, hundreds of dwarf spruce trees covered with a thick layer of hoar frost and snow create an unforgettable landscape of snow sculpture galleries.

The animal world of Babia Góra is very rich. As far as large mammals are concerned, you can encounter bears, which, together with lynx, like especially the southern slopes. Wolves, deer, foxes and badgers also live in the forests. Among birds, a special attention should be paid to the capercaillie, almost extinct species. The capercaillie is a bird from Galliformes order also known as the “wood grouse”. Its weight can reach 6 kilograms; a male capercaillie isn’t much smaller than a turkey. There are more than 120 bird species in the Babia Góra National Park. We should mention at least such birds as: black grouse, owls and rare black stork. Feeding of wild animals is strictly prohibited in the park. Some of them, as for example foxes, chose ‘beggar’s lifestyle’, approaching tourist dangerously close.

The climate of the Babia Góra National Park is rough. There are often unexpected weather changes. It is necessary to always remember about it when going hiking in the mountains. Snow appears in October and stays until May. There is often an avalanche risk on northern slopes; that is why northern tourist route (the “academic” route) is closed in the winter.

An interesting hydrological fact about the mountain is the watershed of Baltic Sea and Black Sea basins crossing the ridge of Babia Góra. That means that a rain drop falling on the northern slopes of the mountain goes to the Baltic Sea, while falling on southern slopes, starts its descent to the Black Sea.

Five tourist routes were marked out in the park. They all meet near the mountain hostel in Markowe Szczawiny. The hostel offers a few dozens of accommodation places and a buffet. The easiest way to get to the mountain hostel is to follow the green route from Zawoja (approximately 1.5 hour).

Thanks to the special natural values of the Babia Góra mountain range, this National Park acquired the status of UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1977.