Cieślar

Cieślar (Czech Česlar) is a summit of about 920 m in the Silesian Beskids, on the main ridge of the Stożek–Czantoria range. It lies between Wielki Soszów to the north and Mały Stożek to the south. The Polish–Czech border runs over the summit: the Polish part belongs to the town of Wisła in Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship, the Czech part to Nýdek in the Frýdek-Místek District. The centre of Wisła is about 5 km away, Nýdek 6 km and the Czech town of Jablunkov 6.5 km.

The Polish part of the mountain lies in the fork of the Dziechcinka stream and its tributary. Unlike most summits of the Silesian Beskids, Cieślar's top is not wooded but covered with meadows — which is why it is known for its views and is a popular hiking goal. According to Wikidata, its topographic prominence is about 114 m and the nearest higher summit lies some 1.8 km away.

How to get there / trails

Several marked trails run over the summit along the border:

• the red PTTK Main Beskid Trail, the longest trail of the Polish Beskids, leading from Ustroń to Wołosate in the Bieszczady;
• the blue Czech ridge trail on the other side of the border;
• the yellow Czech long-distance Via Czechia trail (the «Slezskem» section through the Silesian Beskids);
• a red PTTK ski-touring route.

A convenient approach is the red trail from Wisła via Wielki Soszów, on whose slope, about 2 km from the summit, stands the Soszów mountain hut. To the south the same trail continues over Mały Stożek (about 1 km) to Wielki Stożek (about 2 km).

The view from the top

Cieślar offers an almost circular panorama, taking in practically all of the Silesian Beskids and the southern part of the Moravian-Silesian Beskids, and on the other side the lowlands of Silesia and Czechia. Photos from the summit show, among others, Kobyła and the Barania Góra range to the east, and the Kiczory summit with the slope of Wielki Stożek.

Nature and the name

The mountain is named after the surname Cieślar. As early as 1621, shortly after the village of Wisła was founded, four families of that name were recorded there, and it is still one of the most common surnames in Wisła. The summit meadows are typical of this part of the ridge, where most neighbouring tops are wooded. A granite post on the summit bears the bilingual inscription «Góra – Hora Cieślar, 920 m n.p.m.».

Safety, season and rules

Cieślar is a low, easily accessible mountain, but the ridge is exposed to wind, and in winter there is snow and a marked ski route. Mountain rescue on the Polish side is GOPR: 985 or +48 601 100 300; on the Czech side the Horská služba: 1210; emergency number 112. The border lies within the Schengen area and can be crossed freely on marked trails, but carry an identity document.

Photos: PetrSajdok, CC BY-SA 4.0; MichalPL, CC BY-SA 4.0; Krzysztof Dudzik-Górnicki (User:ToSter), CC BY 3.0; Michalmily at Polish Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5 — Wikimedia Commons.