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Walking Trail to Łyska

Start: Żywiec
Range: Maków Beskids
Hiking routes of the Polish Carpathians
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12.6 kmLength
604 mAscent
320 mDescent
640 mMax. altitude
350 mMin. altitude

Trail map

Route, springs and shelters: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · elevation: Copernicus DEM © DLR e.V., © Airbus DS · Data & licences

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About the trail

Route Walking Trail to Łyska. Has black marking (local route, PTTK). Waymarking data: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL).

Officially marked local tourist route. The marking is black, with a triangle in the corner on a white background. Marked and maintained by: PTTK. The length of the route is 12.6 km, and it is a circular route. Location: mountain range — Makowski Beskid, Poland.

Attention: part of the route has not yet been mapped in OpenStreetMap, so the line on the map has gaps. On the ground, orient yourself by the marking signs.

At a glance

A one-day route of 12.6 km with 604 m of ascent. Estimated walking time: about 4 h, not counting stops. Difficulty: moderate. Waymarking: black.

How we estimate walking time

By Naismith's rule, used by mountain clubs and guidebooks: an average hiker walks 4 km an hour on the flat and needs one more hour for every 600 m of ascent. For this trail: 12.6 km ÷ 4 = 3.2 h + 604 m ÷ 600 = 1 h, about 4 h of walking in total.

  • Breaks, snacks and photos: add 20–30 %.
  • A heavy pack, children, snow, a wet path or windfall add more; a long steep descent also takes time, especially for the knees.
  • The height of the Carpathians (up to 2,655 m) hardly changes the pace — on the ridges wind, fog and weather slow you down.
  • Limits: up to 9 h is one day; 9–13 h is a very long day or two; over 13 h means several days with overnight stays.

Route stages

  1. 0–4 kmGentle ups and downs at 350–470 m
  2. 4–4 kmClimb of 120 m (up to 580 m)
  3. 4–6 kmDescent of 210 m (down to 368 m)
  4. 6–9 kmGentle ups and downs at 350–370 m
  5. 9–13 kmClimb of 270 m (up to 632 m)

Steepest kilometre: km 4–4, a climb of 130 m (≈17%).

Water and overnight stays

Our map shows no springs near the trail — bring your own water (at least 2.5 l).

When to go

The route can be walked most of the year; it is most comfortable from April to October.

Getting there

This is a one-way route: the finish is 5 km from the start in a straight line, so plan your way back in advance.

Directions to the start in Google Maps

FAQ

How long does the route take?
Estimated walking time: about 4 h, not counting stops.
Is there water on the route?
Our map shows no springs near the trail — bring your own water (at least 2.5 l).
Walk this route in 3DReal terrain, satellite map, Carpathian forests Play

Comments and trail condition

Travellers’ experience: reports, tips, questions.

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Wildlife along the route

All
Blackthornfruit nowEdibleBlackthornPrunus spinosaA spiny bush that turns white with flowers in spring before the leaves appear. The tart blue-black fruits sweeten after the first frosts.
MallardIn season nowMallardAnas platyrhynchosThe most common wild duck: the male with a green head and a white 'collar'. It lives in the rivers, lakes, and ponds of the Carpathian valleys.
Meadowsweetin seasonIn season nowMeadowsweetFilipendula ulmariaTall creamy-white fluffy inflorescences in wet meadows and along stream banks. A strong honey aroma can be sensed from afar.
White-throated dipperIn season nowWhite-throated dipperCinclus cinclusA bird of mountain streams with a white 'bib' that dives and runs along the bottom against the current. It can be seen all year round.
Roe deerRoe deerCapreolus capreolusA small graceful deer of edges and clearings — the most common hoofed animal seen by tourists in the Carpathians.
Beech martenIn season nowBeech martenMartes foinaThe Beech marten has a white split spot on its chest and lives near humans — in attics, barns, and stone rubble.

Based on naturalists’ records nearby (GBIF, iNaturalist), matched by altitude, habitat and season. Sightings are not guaranteed.

Trails nearby

All trails
Żywiec – Bystra GórnaHard1–2 daysMarkedŻywiec Bystra GórnaElevation profile350–1 366 m29.4 kmascent 1 356 m≈ 9.5 h walkingSzlak Najazdu SzwedzkiegoEasyOne-dayMarkedSzlak Najazdu SzwedzkiegoElevation profile349–612 m6.7 kmascent 286 m≈ 2 h walkingSzlak wyzwolenia ŻywcaEasyOne-dayMarkedSzlak wyzwolenia ŻywcaElevation profile343–460 m10.9 kmascent 158 m≈ 3 h walking

Craft nearby

All craft places
Folk Art Fair in Żywiec during the Beskidy Week of CultureMarkets & fairsFolk Art Fair in Żywiec during the Beskidy Week of CultureŻywiecunder 1 km from the trailThe Beskidy Highlanders' Week of Culture (Tydzień Kultury Beskidzkiej, TKB) is Poland's largest folklore festival: it was first held in Wisła in 1964, and today, at...Browar Zarzecze in the Żywiec Basin: craft brewery shopCraft beer & breweriesBrowar Zarzecze in the Żywiec Basin: craft brewery shopZarzecze4.1 km from the trailBrowar Zarzecze works in the village of Zarzecze near Pietrzykowice in the Żywiec Basin — a region where beer has been brewed since at least the 19th century and home...Aquapark Leśna (Żywiec)Water parks & thermal poolsAquapark Leśna (Żywiec)Leśna4.5 km from the trailAquapark Leśna (also called Aquapark Żywiec) is a swimming-pool complex in the village of Leśna, a few kilometres from Żywiec, in the Żywiec Basin, surrounded by the...PINTA Brewery, Wieprz near Żywiec: tours and taproomCraft beer & breweriesPINTA Brewery, Wieprz near Żywiec: tours and taproomWieprz4.8 km from the trailPINTA is the brewery that Poles associate with the start of the “beer revolution”; it calls itself the country's first craft brewery.Bacówka na Bukowinie, Żabnica: sheep's cheese and alpacasCheese dairies & pasturesBacówka na Bukowinie, Żabnica: sheep's cheese and alpacasWęgierska Górka11 km from the trailBacówka na Bukowinie stands on a slope above the village of Żabnica, next to Węgierska Górka, where the Żywiec Beskids meet the Silesian Beskids.Browar Wisła: craft brewpub in Wisła's old railway stationCraft beer & breweriesBrowar Wisła: craft brewpub in Wisła's old railway stationWisła25 km from the trailBrowar Wisła is a brewpub in the heart of the Silesian Beskids, in the spa town of Wisła, where Poland's longest river of the same name rises.