Szczyrk Mountain Resort: ski resort in Szczyrk

Szczyrk Mountain Resort (SMR) is Poland’s largest ski resort, located in the Silesian Beskids above the town of Szczyrk, on the slopes of Małe Skrzyczne (1,211 m) and Wierch Pośredni (1,000 m). It is run by the Slovak group Tatry mountain resorts, which carried out a thorough modernisation, and today it is one of the most up-to-date ski areas in the country. The main base is Szczyrk-Gondola at the bottom station of the gondola on Salmopolska Street, from where the cabins rise to Hala Skrzyczeńska (about 1,000 m). From here runs lead towards Solisko and Wierch Pośredni as well as to Zbójnicka Kopa and Małe Skrzyczne.

Runs and lifts

Skiers and snowboarders have more than 20 km of varied runs, 4 km of them floodlit, so you can keep skiing after dark. The runs suit both first-timers and experienced skiers looking for a sporty challenge. The infrastructure consists of the 10-seat gondola A1 and three 6-seat chairlifts; the resort singles out the lift to Zbójnicka Kopa, which gives beginners easy access to a gentler run. The SMR lifts are linked with the runs of the Central Sports Centre (COS) on Skrzyczne.

Snowmaking is fed by a 100,000 m³ reservoir on Hala Skrzyczeńska, and the system includes hundreds of snow guns and lances. New for the 2026/27 season on Hala Skrzyczeńska is the Salamandra Alpine Coaster, a gravity mountain coaster that also runs in winter.

Season and ski passes

The 2026/27 price calendar covers 11 December 2026 to 21 March 2027, although the opening, as always, depends on snow. Day passes for 1–6 days are shared by three areas – SMR, COS Skrzyczne and Beskid Sport Arena – which together offer almost 40 km of runs. Day skiing runs from 8:30 to 16:00. Prices are dynamic: an adult day pass at the ticket office costs 175 PLN on low dates and 229 PLN on peak dates (winter holidays), slightly less at the GOPASS Tickets machines, and from 112 PLN in the GOPASS online shop if bought in advance. There are also time passes from 12:00, 13:00 and 14:00 (79–134 PLN for an adult in the low season), a single ride for 59 PLN and a FAST PASS add-on for express gates. Children under 6 with an adult ski free. Car parks P1 and P2 by the gondola (about 520 spaces together) and P3 at Czyrna are free, and there is an EV charger. Prices as of October 2026 – check the official website.

Who it suits

SMR suits families as well as experienced skiers: wide red and blue runs from Hala Skrzyczeńska, a gentler area on Zbójnicka Kopa and long descents to the valley. Szczyrk Ski School – according to the resort the largest ski school in the Beskids – operates by the gondola, with the Maxiland training zone and the “Teddy Max Academy” for the youngest. The bottom-station building houses ticket offices, an information centre, equipment rental and storage, a service shop and a store, with places to eat nearby; a restaurant with a terrace is open on Hala Skrzyczeńska.

Getting there from Ukraine

By car, the most convenient route is through the Krakovets – Korczowa border crossing onto the A4 motorway: past Rzeszów and Tarnów to Kraków, then towards Bielsko-Biała (S52) and on by regional road to Szczyrk – the gondola bottom station is on Salmopolska Street, on the road to the Salmopolska Pass. By public transport: take a train to Bielsko-Biała Główna; the bus station is opposite, and Komunikacja Beskidzka buses run daily to Szczyrk, stopping at the Szczyrk Gondola and Szczyrk Solisko bottom stations.

Nearby: trails and peaks

In summer the hiking trail Małe Skrzyczne – Szczyrk Gondola starts at the gondola, and from Solisko there is Szczyrk Solisko – Slope of Malinowska Skała. Above the resort rises the highest peak of the Silesian Beskids, Skrzyczne, home to the neighbouring Skrzyczne – COS ski area in Szczyrk; a little further away is the Hala Jaworowa glade.

Official website: szczyrkowski.pl

Photos: Happa, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.