Palenica

Palenica is a 722 m summit in the Small Pieniny, rising directly above the spa town of Szczawnica in southern Poland. The Maćkówki pass separates it from the main ridge of the Small Pieniny. To the north lie two lower tops, Groń (687 m) and Niżny Groń (605 m). Thanks to the chairlift from Szczawnica it is one of the most easily accessible summits in the Pieniny and a popular family outing. Central Szczawnica is less than a kilometre away, Slovak Lesnica about 2 km.

The mountain belongs to the Szczawnica municipality of Nowy Targ County (Lesser Poland) and lies outside the Pieniny National Park. On the summit stand the “Groń” hut, food outlets and a summer alpine coaster.

How to get there / routes

The easiest way up is the chairlift from Szczawnica, operated by Polskie Koleje Linowe; the upper station is a few dozen metres from the summit. Check timetable and prices on the operator's website before you go.

• On foot from Szczawnica – yellow trail over Palenica and the Maćkówki pass to Szafranówka: about 1 h 20 min up, 50 min down.
• To the Pieniny Road – marked trail via Szafranówka down to the road along the Dunajec: about 1 h 10 min (back up 1 h 25 min).
• Along the Small Pieniny ridge to Jaworki – via Szafranówka, Wysoki Wierch, Durbaszka, the pass below Wysoka and the Homole Gorge: about 4 h 20 min. The European E3 and the Eisenach–Budapest friendship trail also pass close to the summit.

What you can see from the summit

Palenica is a good viewpoint over the Pieniny and the Sądecki Beskid. The open ski slopes give a wide view of Szczawnica in the Grajcarek valley and the surrounding hills; neighbouring Szafranówka has its own viewpoint looking towards the Maćkówki pass and Palenica.

Nature and history

The summit is built of limestones of the variegated and Jarmuta beds. Human activity once stripped the slopes of forest and they were used as pasture. After the Second World War local residents reforested the mountain through voluntary work. Spa guests from Szczawnica climbed Palenica as early as the 19th century, and since the chairlift opened it has been visited by crowds.

A rarity for Poland, the military orchid grows here. In 1987–1988 two very rare lichens, threatened with extinction in Poland, were found on Palenica: Chaenotheca chrysocephala and Zwackhia viridis.

The Palenica ski station on the northern slopes has two runs; the red “Palenica 1” is considered one of the more interesting ski runs in Poland. From 1949 until the 1970s a small ski jump, built on the initiative of Artur Werner, stood on the northern slope above the Grajcarek. It was rebuilt twice, had a wooden judges' tower and a K-point of about 40–50 m, and hosted voivodeship championships.

Safety, season and rules

Palenica is low and easy, but in winter the slopes are ski runs: walkers must not use the pistes while the lifts operate – stay on the marked paths. After rain the paths on limestone and clay are slippery. The chairlift runs to a seasonal timetable and may stop in strong wind, so plan a walking descent as a fallback.

The Pieniny are covered by the Podhale group of the mountain rescue service GOPR (station in Szczawnica): call 985 or +48 601 100 300, or 112; installing the «Ratunek» app is recommended.

Interesting facts

• Today's forest on Palenica was planted by local residents after the Second World War – before that the slopes were pastures.
• The Palenica ski jump had a masonry stone take-off, modern for its time.

Photos: Mach240390, CC BY 4.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; real name: Mariusz Rzepkowski pl.wiki: MariuszR commons: MariuszR, CC BY-SA 2.5; Szydzio, CC BY-SA 4.0; Andrzej Otrębski, CC BY-SA 4.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.