Hala Kondratowa

Hala Kondratowa is a former pasture in the Kondratowa Valley of the Western Tatras, on the southern side of the Giewont massif, inside the Tatra National Park (TPN). Its heart is Polana Kondratowa, the flat valley floor at roughly 1,300–1,370 m. A moraine lake once filled this glacial cirque; when it silted up, a broad meadow took its place. Most livestock grazed not on the glade itself, which was mown, but on the southern slopes of Giewont — the names of its gullies, Koński Żleb ("horse gully") and Krówski Żleb ("cow gully"), still recall it.

The name probably comes from the first owner. The pasture has been used for a very long time: as early as 1676 King John III Sobieski granted it to the village head of Pieniążkowice; later the grazing rights passed by inheritance to people from Biały Dunajec, Poronin, Szaflary, Zakopane and other villages, and in 1819 the land was bought by the Uznański family. Around the middle of the 19th century the famous outlaw Wojciech Gał from Olcza worked here as head shepherd. The glade had huts, sheds and a shepherd's lodge; only one lodge survives — it was listed as a monument in 1978 and restored by the Tatra Museum in 1984. It stands in the lower part of the glade and cannot be seen from the trail.

Hala Kondratowa is one of the cradles of Polish skiing. Before 1910 the Uznańskis built a ski shelter here, and between the wars a ski jump: in 1936, for lack of snow on Wielka Krokiew, the Polish championships were held here and won by Stanisław Marusarz. After the Second World War the land passed to the TPN and grazing was banned. Since then forest and dwarf pine have been quickly taking over: in 1955 the glade covered about 27 ha, by 2004 it had shrunk by roughly 44%. The meadows host monkshood, Spiš crocus, spotted gentian, green false hellebore and the rare superb pink.

What to see and do

• The PTTK hut on Hala Kondratowa (1,333 m) — the smallest in the Polish Tatras. The present building dates from 1947–1948; on 26 April 1953 a rock avalanche from Długi Giewont damaged it, and huge boulders weighing tens of tonnes still lie beside it. After a complete rebuild the hut reopened on 14 June 2025.
• Flowering meadows in summer — pink patches of fireweed and mountain flowers against the ridge of the Czerwone Wierchy.
• Views of Giewont and the walls of Długi Giewont rising straight above the glade.
• A starting point for Kondracka Pass, Giewont and Kopa Kondracka.

How to get there

The easiest start is Kuźnice in Zakopane, served by buses and minibuses (private cars cannot drive there). The blue trail Kuźnice – Hala Kondratowa – Giewont passes Kalatówki Glade on a forest road, partly paved, and the signposted time is 1 h 20 min up and about 1 h down. It is a moderate walk that families with school-age children manage. From the hut the blue trail climbs to Kondracka Pass and Giewont (1 h 45 min), and the green Hala Kondratowa – Przełęcz pod Kopą Kondracką takes 1 h 20 min to the pass below Kopa Kondracka; both are proper high-mountain routes.

Season and safety

The pasture lies in the TPN, so entry is paid: as of October 2026 a ticket costs 11 zł, reduced 5.50 zł, and children under 7 enter free; buy it online, at the Kuźnice entry point or via a QR code. From 1 March to 30 November walking the trails between dusk and dawn is forbidden, and dogs are not allowed in the park. The slopes above the glade are avalanche-prone, and the hut's history shows that rocks can fall even in summer, so in winter and spring go above the hut only with a favourable avalanche forecast. The TOPR rescue number is 601 100 300 or 985.

Nearby

Above the pasture rise Giewont and Kopa Kondracka, a little further east is Kasprowy Wierch, and beyond it Hala Gąsienicowa.

Official website: tpn.gov.pl

Photos: Cybularny, CC0, Wikimedia Commons; Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; MichalFilipPL, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Margoz, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Dessmi, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.