Obidowa

Obidowa is a village in Poland, located in the administrative district of Gmina Nowy Targ, Nowy Targ County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship. The settlement lies in the Gorce mountains, in the valley of the Lepietnica stream. Its houses and fields occupy the narrow valley floor and adjacent slopes, mostly on the right bank. Obidowa is the highest village in the gmina and among the highest in the Gorce: buildings rise to 710–850 m, with fields and meadows reaching up to 950 m above sea level. The area is surrounded by forests with many clearings, such as Nalewajki, Spalone, Gorzec, Kałużna, Rozdziele, Jaworzyna Obidowska, Jaworzynka, Fenikowa, Huziarkowa, Wesołowa, Szkodowa, Chudobowa, Cichulowa, Bukowina, Rożnowa, Dermowa, and Rusnakowa.

From 1975 to 1998, Obidowa belonged to the Nowy Sącz Voivodeship. During the German occupation in 1942–1944, the area was a center of activity for partisan units of the Gwardia Ludowa, Armia Ludowa, and Soviet detachments.

Obidowa is known for its picturesque mountain scenery, extensive forests, and traditional clearings. The village preserves authentic highland architecture, and the surrounding nature attracts those seeking tranquility and active recreation. It serves as a starting point for exploring the Gorce and discovering local culture.

Visitors can choose from over 20 hiking trails, including the Small Beskid Trail, Mały Krzystanów – Kowaniec, Szczebel – Turbacz – Kowaniec, Borek Pass – Rzeki – Hale Gorcowskie, and the Seweryn Goszczyński Trail. Notable sites nearby include Turbacz, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Ludźmierz, the rolling stock open-air museum in Chabówka, the Podhale Museum in Nowy Targ, the Władysław Orkan Museum in Rabka-Zdrój, as well as the Gorce thermal baths and the brine graduation tower in Rabka-Zdrój. For accommodation, there are shelters such as Koliba on Lapsowa Polana, the Maciejowa shelter, and the Turbacz shelter.

Getting there from Ukraine

Lviv – Zakopane ≈421 km, ≈5 h 10 min without border queues. Route: M-10 Lviv – Krakovets → Krakovets – Korczowa checkpoint → A4 motorway (Rzeszów – Tarnów – Kraków) → Kraków southern bypass → S7/DK7 → DK47 ('Zakopianka') via Nowy Targ → Zakopane. The A4 Katowice – Kraków section (Balice and Mysłowice toll plazas) is tolled, but this route does not use it. In summer and at weekends the DK47 near Zakopane is often congested.

Sources: Wikipedia, Wikidata, OpenStreetMap, Karpaty.rocks data. More on Wikipedia