Kacwinianka Waterfalls, Kacwin

The waterfalls of the Kacwinianka are several natural steps on the river that flows through the Spiš village of Kacwin, in the commune of Łapsze Niżne, Nowy Targ County, right on the Polish-Slovak border. Geographically this is the Spiš Foothills (Pogórze Spiskie) between Podhale and the Pieniny, in the ethnographic region of Zamagurie. Two of them have their own names: the tourist-friendly Pod Upłazem Waterfall (Wodospad pod Upłazem) at about 605 m, and the higher Pod Młynarzką Waterfall in the village centre.

The Pod Upłazem Waterfall lies by the border, just below the mouth of the Hawiarski Potok stream. The water slides down tilted rock slabs into a deep green pool. By the road from Kacwin to Veľká Franková in Slovakia there is an information board, a shelter and benches, and a path has been cut down the steep bank to the water. There are other small steps on the Kacwinianka nearby.

The Pod Młynarzką Waterfall drops from a natural rock step almost 7 m high and about 10 m wide, just below the bridge beneath the church. A sawmill and a mill driven by a water wheel once stood next to it: water was brought to them by a wooden chute from the step above the fall. The equipment had long been out of use, and the great flood of 1977 largely destroyed it. Getting close to this waterfall is very difficult: the banks are high and vertical, and tight fences of private properties line both sides of the river.

Kacwin is one of the oldest villages of Spiš, mentioned in documents as early as 1320; the name comes from the German Katzwinkel, "cat's corner". Around 1400 the owners of Dunajec Castle founded the Church of All Saints here. Between the world wars the village remained in Poland; in 1939–1945 it belonged to Slovakia. The commune of Łapsze Niżne is the only fully Spiš commune in Poland; Kacwin still has the characteristic Spiš outbuildings called "sypańce".

What to see

• The Pod Upłazem Waterfall with its viewpoint by the road and the path to the water — best after rain and in spring.
• The Pod Młynarzką Waterfall — visible from the bridge by the church; do not climb over private fences.
• The meanders of the Kacwinianka between the hills of Tylki Hawiarskie, Kunia Góra and Serwoniec.
• The Church of All Saints and old Spiš farmsteads in the centre of Kacwin.

How to get there

A road leads to Kacwin from Niedzica (4 km) and continues across the border to Veľká Franková. The Pod Upłazem Waterfall is right by this road, so it is a short, easy walk that children can manage, although the descent down the steep bank requires care. Hiking and cycling trails run along the road past the waterfall; on our site this is the route Kacwin (state border) – Łapsze Niżne. The "Spiš Loop" cycling route also passes nearby.

Season and safety

The waterfalls are accessible all year round with no tickets. The rocks by the water are slippery and the banks of the Kacwinianka are steep — hold children's hands. Do not swim in the pools below the steps: depth and currents under waterfalls are unpredictable, especially after downpours. The GOPR mountain rescue number is 985 or 601 100 300.

Nearby

8–10 km to the north lie Lake Czorsztyn and Niedzica Castle (Dunajec Castle), and further on the Pieniny with Dunajec River Rafting. Another waterfall of the region is Zaskalnik Waterfall in Szczawnica.

Photos: Happa, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Kaliosese, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.