ARTICLE • October 10, 2026
Wild Beskids — Babia Góra, Magurski NP and the Żywiec Beskids
Two ends of the Beskid arc, two national parks and one question: do we want a summit or the silence? The answer is both — just in a different order.
The Beskids run across half of Poland and are hard to sum up in one sentence. But two extreme sections show how different they are: Babia Góra in the west is sharp and panoramic, Magurski NP in the east is quiet and wooded. Between them lies the Żywiec Beskids, which links the two.
Babia Góra — Queen of the Beskids
Babia Góra (1725 m) is the highest summit of the entire Beskids and one of the most recognisable in Poland. The peak is called Diablak, and the route from the Markowe Szczawiny hut is short but steep.
It is a mountain with its own weather: sunny in the valley and foggy on top. Bring a jacket even in July. The national park is a UNESCO biosphere reserve, and summit trails close in bad weather.
More: Babia Góra National Park.
Żywiec Beskids — Pilsko and Hala Miziowa
The Żywiec Beskids give you everything: long ridges, pastoral meadows and summits high enough to feel like altitude. Pilsko (1557 m) is the second-highest in the range after Babia Góra, and Hala Miziowa is one of the best-known spots on the route.
A good place for a two-day trip with a mountain hut in the middle. Less besieged than the Tatras, with views that compare on clear days.
More: Żywiec Beskids.
Magurski NP — silence in the Lower Beskids
Magurski National Park lies in the Lower Beskids and is one of the most forested parks in Poland. No queues, no ski lifts — trails, villages and forest where you can walk all day.
It is also Lemko country: churches, cemeteries and traces of villages that no longer exist. Combine the park with the wooden architecture route.
More: Magurski National Park.
How to combine it
All three in one trip is hard — they are hours apart. A realistic plan is two trips: western (Babia Góra + Żywiec Beskids, base in Zawoja or Korbielów) and eastern (Magurski NP, base in Krempna or Gorlice).
Trains reach Żywiec and Gorlice, but huts and trails need a bus or a car.
When to go
The best season is June–September, and September is especially good: fewer people, stable weather and colour. In winter Babia Góra can be dangerous — weather there changes faster than the forecast.