POLAND
THE CARPATHIAN TRAIL IN POLAND: 14-DAY ITINERARY
The Carpathian Trail is Poland’s third-longest hiking trail, stretching for around 430 km from Rzeszów to Grybów, close to the borders with Ukraine and Slovakia. This so-called “border trail” or "blue trail" crosses the breathtaking Bieszczady Mountains, as well as the less-visited Sanok-Turka Mountains and Low Beskids. In a separate post, you will find everything you need to know before hiking the Carpathian Trail. In this blog post, I’m sharing my own detailed day-by-day itinerary, including accommodation and resupply points.
THE CARPATHIAN TRAIL FROM RZESZÓW TO GRYBÓW IN POLAND
The Carpathian Trail is Poland's third-longest hiking route, ranking just behind the Main Beskid Trail and the Main Sudetes Trail. Marked in blue, the route stretches for 430 km between two Polish cities, Rzeszów and Grybów, winding through the Dynów Foothills, the Przemyśl Foothills, the Sanok-Turka Mountains, the Bieszczady Mountains, and the Low Beskids. In October 2024, I made a solo attempt to complete the Carpathian Trail in 14 days, and here is everything you need to know to do the same. Let’s get right into it!
THE LITTLE BESKID TRAIL IN POLAND: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
The Little Beskid Trail stretches over 137 km through 3 mountain ranges in Poland: the Little Beskid, the Makowski Beskid, and the Island Beskid. My goal was to finish this hike in 3 days. Did I make it? Unfortunately not. My fitness level was on point, but the high temperature combined with a very fast pace caused me nasty blisters that slowed me down significantly. After all, I finished this hike in 4 days, which is pretty good anyway. All you need to know about hiking the Little Beskid Trail in Poland is included below.
PRZEŁĘCZ POD CHŁOPKIEM IN THE HIGH TATRAS OF POLAND
Mięguszowiecka Przełęcz pod Chłopkiem is no joke! In fact, this hike is considered one of the toughest in the Tatra Mountains. Fun fact is that it took me two attempts to tick it off. I was all ready to do it in July 2022, but after speaking to some hikers at a mountain hut, I ended up changing my plans. A month later, I got back there, and this time everything went to plan. Was there really anything to be afraid of? Let's find out!
OWL MOUNTAINS: WALKING TRAILS
The Owl Mountains are a mountain range of the Central Sudetes located in southwestern Poland. It's a beautiful region with a fascinating history, truly an enigma for historians and treasure hunters. Apart from a fair number of walking trails and viewpoints, there are many historical sites such as WWII fortifications, military forts & fortresses, as well as ruined castles. More about walking trails in the Owl Mountains here.
OWL MOUNTAINS: TOP TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Lower Silesia hides lots of secrets. That includes the long, and turbulent history of the Owl Mountains. Have you ever heard about Project "Riese"? It's a huge system of underground tunnels built in this area between 1943 and 1945. What Nazi Germany was planning to do here is one of the biggest unsolved mysteries of WWII. In this blog post, I'm going to share with you the top tourist attractions in the Owl Mountains. Enjoy!
