Majerz Meadow Shepherd's Hut, Pieniny National Park: oscypek and żętyca

Majerz meadow (hala) sits on a 689 m hill between Czorsztyn-Nadzamcze and the village of Hałuszowa, above Lake Czorsztyn. According to the National Research Institute of Animal Production, it is the only meadow in Pieniny National Park where sheep are still grazed. The name comes from the German Maierhof, a manor farm that once stood on the hill; in Spisz, "majerz" also meant a summer enclosure for cattle. The forest here was probably cleared as early as the 15th century, when Hałuszowa was founded, and the pasture has been used by shepherds almost ever since.

The park bought the meadow in 1992 and introduced so-called cultural grazing: the sheep keep the grass short and stop the meadows from turning back into forest, preserving rare Pieniny plants along with them. In the western part of the meadow stands a wooden hut in the old Podhale style. Since 2001 the baca here has been Wojciech Komperda of Ratułów, who took over the hut from his father-in-law. With four helpers he looks after a flock of about 600 Polish Mountain sheep and a few cows.

Why go

This is a real working shepherd's hut in the middle of a national park, not a roadside shop. You can see the whole pastoral routine: the flock on the slope, the pens, tubs of milk, smoke from the smokehouse. The cheese is made the traditional way from the flock's own milk, and the meadow offers a wide view over Lake Czorsztyn, the Pieniny and, on a clear day, the Tatras. As early as 1994 the farm received an organic certificate for selling sheep's cheese.

The blue trail from Czorsztyn to Trzy Korony crosses the meadow, so the hut is a handy stop for walkers. At the same time it can be reached by car, so it suits families and visitors not planning long hikes.

What to taste and buy

• Oscypek — smoked sheep's cheese with EU Protected Designation of Origin; by the rules the milk must come from Polish Mountain sheep with no more than 40% cow's milk added.
• Bundz — fresh, soft sheep's cheese.
• Żętyca — sheep's whey, the shepherds' traditional drink.
• Small smoked cheeses and braided "plaits" — often mentioned by visitors in reviews.

The freshest choice is in the morning and at the height of the season; by late summer the large oscypki may be more aged, so ask the shepherds what was made that day.

Practical information

Getting there: the meadow lies by the road from Krośnica to Niedzica (Pienińska street), between Hałuszowa and Czorsztyn-Nadzamcze, about 7 km from Krościenko nad Dunajcem and 25 km from Nowy Targ. You can leave the car by the meadow; on foot, the blue trail from Czorsztyn to Trzy Korony leads here.

Hours: according to Google Maps, daily 6:00–20:00 in season (as of October 2026). Sheep graze from late April to mid-October and cheese is made roughly from May to September; the hut is closed in winter.

Prices and payment: prices are not published; bring cash. Phone: +48 509 559 168. The hut has no website of its own.

Nearby

• Czorsztyn Castle ruins — about 2 km.
• Lake Czorsztyn and Niedzica Castle on the opposite shore.
• Trzy Korony — along the blue trail through the Pieniny.
• Dunajec raft trip — the landing is in Sromowce Wyżne-Kąty.

Official website: google.com

Photos: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Marek Mróz, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Rafał Chałgasiewicz, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.