Pieniny National Park is a mountain park located 120 km south of Cracow. The easiest way to reach the Park is via a road from Cracow towards Zakopane, in Nowy Targ turning in the direction of Krościenko.
The Pieniny Park was created in the area of Pieniny, a 35 km long and 6 km wide mountain range. The interest in nature protection in the Pieniny area reaches 1920s, when a flora reserve was created in Czorsztyn. Vegetation in Pieniny Park is extraordinarily abounding. You can find 167 mountain plant species here, including two endemic species: Pieniny wallflower and Pieniny dandelion. There are many orchids, on the meadows you can find Veratrum Lobelianum, a plant with beautiful, large leaves. The best month to see flowers and plants is June. Large mammals in Pieniny are not numerous, but the Pieniny meadows are famous for abundance of butterflies; the best known one is the Mountain Apollo, which can be found only here.
There are a dozen kilometres of tourist trails marked in Pieniny. The most popular trails lead to Trzy Korony (Three Crowns mountain, 982 m above sea level) and Sokolica mountain (747 m above sea level). From an observation platform on Trzy Korony there is an incredible view at Dunajec Gorge, Tatra Mountains, Gorce and Beskid Sądecki. The biggest tourist attraction of Pieniny is rafting at Dunajec – one of the most beautiful river gorges in Europe. Rafting starts in Kąty and ends in Szczawnica or Krościenko. The most interesting part of the Dunajec Gorge in Pieniny is located between Kąty and Szczawnica. The length of the rafting route is 18 km, and the time is approx. 2 hours 20 minutes (the stage between Kąty and Szczawnica). Detailed information on rafting can be found at www.flisacy.com.pl website /EN, DE, FR, RU, IT/. The Dunajec River Gorge can be also visited on foot or by bicycle via a trail going along the river, the so called Pieniny Road.
Additional attractions near the Pieniny National Park:
• Castles in Niedzica and Czorsztyn;
• Shepherd’s huts with delicious sheep milk cheese types: bryndza, bunc, oscypek, and żentyca (a local drink made of fermented sheep milk whey);
• Homole Ravine in Jaworki;
• Old Uniat church in Jaworki;
• Skiing centre in Palenica with a view at Tatra Mountains, in summer gravity railway for children;
• Rope park in Krościenko;
• Červený Kláštor at Slovak side.
The accommodation base offers a wide range of tourist services from campsites and farm tourism accommodation to hotels. A very attractive option is to spend a night in the Niedzica Castle. Accommodation is available in all towns: Szczawnica, Krościenko, Sromowce Wyżne, Sromowce Niżne, Czorsztyn and Niedzica.
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